For the second recruiting cycle in a row, Texas A&M has landed a five-star defensive lineman.
Walter Nolen, the top-ranked prospect in the 2022 class who committed to the Aggies on Saturday, joins 2021 top-five defensive end Shemar Turner, who has already begun to flash as a freshman.
With the addition of Nolen, Texas A&M is adding a defender who can be so disruptive that he can alter opposing game plans similar to how former Nebraska standout Ndamukong Suh impacted them.
Nolen is 6-foot-4 and nearly 330 pounds, and he has the size and power to be a physical and stout presence in the trenches. What separates him from many other interior defensive linemen is his explosiveness and agility. The defensive tackle possesses not only outstanding first-step quickness that can allow him to penetrate and blow up plays, but also has elite agility, posting a blazing 7.04-second L-drill at a camp this summer. He can work around blockers and quickly redirect to run down ball carriers.
Traits that helped propel Nolen to the No. 1 spot overall were his competitive nature and willingness to work to get better. Despite numerous Power 5 offers, Nolen never turned down an opportunity to compete at camps and work to improve his technique. That approach, combined with his physical ability, is what projects him as a difference-maker in the A&M trenches.
Nolen's commitment is key for 14th-ranked Texas A&M as the Aggies work to take the next step and compete for a national title. He ultimately picked Texas A&M over Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Michigan.
Nolen, from Powell, Tennessee, has spent his senior season at Powell High School, which is outside of Knoxville, after enrolling at St. Benedict as a junior. The Vols had worked their way among Nolen's final schools, and he could have been a statement pickup for a Vols program trying to rebuild.
The Vols are not among the favorites for any other ESPN 300 defensive linemen, but getting in the mix for Nolen is something they can build off on the recruiting trail. Without him, though, they will need to work to further improve their defensive unit and get production from some solid three-star pickups they already have in Jordan Phillips, who possesses some explosiveness himself, and Venson Sneed, who brings nice size, strength and upside.
Nolen had also visited Florida, where he took an official visit over the summer. The Gators are in the mix for some other top defenders, including lengthy edge rusher Cyrus Moss and ESPN 300 DT Chris McClellan, as they work to build that unit despite missing out on the five-star defensive tackle.
Georgia could have added to its already top-rated defensive unit by pairing Nolen with Jalen Carter, a big man with similar quickness and mobility. Despite missing out, the Bulldogs, who are in the running for the top class, are in a position to keep moving forward, as they hold commitments from a pair of top-10 defensive tackles in Mykel Williams and Bear Alexander.
With family ties to Michigan, the Wolverines were also in contention for Nolen's pledge. They were not among his final three schools that he listed over the summer, though he visited Michigan in September. Still, the Wolverines have verbals from several three-star defensive linemen and could still add to that unit with a prospect such as high-three-star in-state DT Deone Walker.