South Carolina Football: Priority 5-star target reveals commitment date

South Carolina football has had a good spring so far on the recruiting trail as they've brought in five commitments in the class of 2025, two more in the class of 2026, and two more from the transfer portal. Gamecock fans hope that the summer will be just as fruitful for the future of their favorite team.

One of the top targets on USC's board (and one of the top prospects in the country) is Schley Country High School outside linebacker Zayden Walker. The hybrid linebacker/EDGE player is a big-time player in the class of 2025 and is already rated as a 5-star prospect by 247Sports. He is the younger brother of Gamecock freshman defensive back Jalewis Solomon, a 4-star prospect in the 2024 class.

On Wednesday, Walker revealed that he has set his commitment date. On July 5th, the 6'2", 225-pound defender will be announcing his college decision to the world.

Walker's top-4 includes the South Carolina Gamecocks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Miami Hurricanes, and Georgia Bulldogs, and he has official visits scheduled to all four schools.

Last summer, the Auburn Tigers were considered the favorite as he had one older brother on the roster and one committed to the program. However, with Jalewis Solomon flipping to the South Carolina football program, they also appear to be out of the running for Walker. The Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide also had been involved in his recruitment.

As a player, Walker is an exceptional athlete who uses a nice first step to blow past potential blockers on the line of scrimmage. He has a bull rush in his arsenal, as well, and his quick movement off the snap allows him to impact offensive tackles while they are still on their heels.

Some scouts think that Walker could become a linebacker at the next level thanks to his athleticism and his lack of prototypical size and length for the EDGE position. However, the Gamecocks have seen some smaller pass rushers have big-time success while in Columbia. Eric Norwood is the program's all-time leader in sacks, and he was only 6'0" tall.

Most of Walker's high school snaps have come as a stand-up outside linebacker on the line of scrimmage, so his game has elements of both the linebacker and EDGE positions.

Walker plays running back for his high school squad, as well, but his future is on defense.

You can watch some of his film here.