Experience aids transfer safety Jordan Walker in transition to Power Four

Defensive back Jordan Walker spent five years at UT Chattanooga before electing to enter the transfer portal ahead of his final college football season. 

During his time with the Mocs, Walker played over 2,000 snaps at the college level, making him a seasoned option for college programs looking for secondary help.

West Virginia fit that category, and Walker was impressed with the plan and vision that head coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley had for the defense and the program at large.

Alley presented the opportunity for Walker to expand his game even more to be versatile and that was a significant draw when it came time to select a school.

“Being in Coach Alley’s defense that’ll help me do that so that had a big impact on me coming here to WVU,” Walker said.

That level of experience has made the adjustment to what he is now doing in Morgantown easier with the biggest challenge coming with trying to get the playbook down. That’s easier said than done, considering all that Alley wants to do on that side of the ball.

And the challenge for Walker is learning what to do and still playing at the same speed that he was operating at when he was at the FCS level. That has required Walker to study more than at his previous stop in order to learn all that is required out of him. 

Yes, there are better athletes skill-wise at the Power Four level but in the end football is football. And Alley is good at explaining the why to everything he does on the field. 

“Coach Alley is going to put you in the best position to make plays,” he said. 

Walker has been playing both the field and boundary safety spots at West Virginia, and while the former is where he is most comfortable, the latter is similar outside, having less space and things happening at a much quicker pace. 

In terms of fitting into his new destination, the Alabama native was welcomed with open arms and felt at home from the time he arrived on campus. 

A former high school quarterback, Walker has an understanding of what to look for on each snap and has been able to translate that to his role on the defensive side.

“I kind of got a good feel for the game at this point in my career and I’m able to play fast. Play at a faster pace and I’m able to read and react very, very quickly,” Walker said.

Offer Alert

Fall camp is here and there’s no better time to sign up with us to get all your WVU intel! Sign up today – $1 for the first week, plus a complimentary year of access to The Athletic included. Join – http://gowvu.us/Join

Wondering what other WVU fans are saying?

Head to The Blue Lot and jump into the discussion →