The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2025 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL J ulian Walker did not need to wait until the fall like he originally planned to. After spending Victors Weekend with Michigan, the On300 edge rusher knew he had found his collegiate home and started to speed up his decision-making process. He received his first Power Four offer in January. Michigan offered a month later. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound de- fensive lineman's recruitment moved quickly and, after committing to the Wolverines July 1, he can finally relax. "I didn't feel like I needed to wait," Walker told The Wolverine after mak- ing his decision. "The first time I want down there I was impressed, and the second time was just a reflection of how impressive it was the first time. "They got even deeper into it, and I was just like 'Why am I waiting? They're showing you everything that you're looking for.'" Walker called head coach Sherrone Moore and defensive line coach Lou Esposito to share the good news. They were extremely excited. Michigan made several trips down to Columbia, South Carolina, to meet with the Dutch Fork High standout this year, and Walker visited Ann Arbor twice be- fore making his decision. He feels close to the staff. "It's easy to talk to them," Walker said. His father, Jamil Walker, coaches on South Carolina's strength staff and represents his school at all times. He wholeheartedly believes in everything the SEC program has to offer and, even when they traveled to other programs, he wore a hat with the Gamecock logo across the front. He never imagined Julian's recruit- ment would unfold as it did — taking away a chance to work together at the next level. This was a difficult and a unique experience for their family with Julian charting his own path forward. "I never take my South Carolina hat off because I wanted to be very clear where I stood," Jamil said. "But him having the confidence to go out on his own — and that being a safe environ- ment where I can assure you they're do- ing it the right way over there — I have a lot of respect for it." At the end of the day, Jamil knew he needed to be a parent first and look past his connections to the Gamecocks. "I understand loyalties, and I under- stand supporting your group and ev- erything but, in this situation, I have to represent my son and I have to be a father," Jamil said. The Wolverines want Julian to come in and play a variety of roles on the U-M defensive front. He moves around a bunch at the high school level, so he's looking forward to the chance to show- case his versatility at Michigan. South Carolina was the trending team in his recruitment for a long time, but he felt at home in Ann Arbor. Julian is fired up to join the program as an early enrollee in January. "I'm extremely excited," Julian said. "It's something special, being a Wol- verine, and it's something I take with a lot of pride. I'm excited to be able to be a part of the Michigan family." Julian joins a loaded defensive line class that also includes Carter Mead- ows, Titan Davis, Tariq Boney, Alister Vallejo and McHale Blade. This could be Michigan's first defensive line class with five signees considered four-star prospects or better since 2017. Walker, On3's No. 16 edge and No. 128 overall prospect in the country, compared this run to how Georgia stockpiled talent in the trenches on its way to recent na- tional championships. "These are some dudes that I've seen and known for a little bit, and it blows my mind. … This is the same thing that happened when I was a kid, at Georgia, when they got all those dudes," he said. Joining this class is "an honor," Walker explained. He can see the tal- ent and the potential in the Wolverines' defensive line class. "We've got some real dawgs, and I hope Michigan is excited," he said. ❑ South Carolina Edge Julian Walker Is Charting His Own Path PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Julian Walker is a really impressive prospect on the hoof. He's huge. I think he and Carter Meadows give Michigan one of the most physically impressive edge combi- nations in the cycle. Julian looks all of 6-foot-6. He's a guy I could easily see being a 285- to 290-pounder after a couple of years in the strength program. He's just a massive defensive end. He plays for the top high school program in the state of South Carolina. He helped them to a state title as a junior. His game took off as he continued to grow into his body. He moves well. He can play with power and set the edge. I think this is a guy who is really just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. His best football is certainly ahead of him. — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Walker is a massive edge prospect. He needs to keep weight off if he wants to avoid sliding inside, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue considering his father is a P4 strength and conditioning coach. Walker has the length but doesn't always use it to his advantage when pass rushing. He can also learn to play with more violent hands. Overall, Walker has plenty of athleticism to go with his impressive size, but he lacks the technical part of playing the edge position. Walker could play early at Michigan if he's able to quickly learn the nuances of being a high-level pass rusher. — The Wolverine recruiting analyst EJ Holland PLAYER COMPARISON: Former NFL and UNC defensive end Quinton Coples. — Power Walker, whose father is on the strength train- ing staff at South Carolina, is rated by Rivals as the No. 16 edge and No. 128 overall pros- pect in the class of 2026. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL