Georgia trusts its plan for linebacker Jalon Walker: ‘He’s going to continue to get better’

ATHENS — Jalon Walker’s job for the Georgia defense is just linebacker. In part because he plays both inside and outside linebacker for the Bulldogs.

Walker has been most impactful at the outside linebacker position, where Georgia uses him as a pass rusher in obvious passing situations. He has just a single tackle so far this season, but on the final defensive play of Georgia’s win over Auburn, the sophomore linebacker was the one who flushed Payton Thorne from the pocket. Thorne’s pass ultimately ended up in the hands of Malaki Starks and Georgia won the game.

“I’ve seen a lot from Jalon Walker, just like his pass-rushing ability off the edge. He’s real good off the edge,” inside linebacker Smael Mondon said. “He’s got a real good pass rush skillset, so that and his athleticism really. I feel like Jalon Walker too, as the season goes on, he’s going to continue to get better.”

Walker’s long-term future though isn’t as an outside linebacker in the Georgia defense. It never has been. Despite having measurables comparable to Chaz Chambliss, Georgia always pitched Walker on the idea that he was going to be an off-ball linebacker for Georgia.

He’s not the first player Georgia has done this with, as Quay Walker and Channing Tindall were both players who early in their careers were more comfortable playing on the edge. Walker went on to become a first round pick for the Green Bay Packers and is currently fourth in the NFL in tackles.

Jalon Walker is still in the process of learning all that it takes to be an inside linebacker.

“He’s growing at two positions. That’s exactly what we talked to him about when we recruited him and some of these other inside backers,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “A lot of kids don’t play high school inside backer. Their coaches put them on the edge so they can defend the grass or they put them at the edge so they can run and set edges. They don’t get to play inside backer because there’s probably another kid on their team that can play that.”

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