Nation's No. 1 defensive tackle on Tigers: "I like the way they carry themselves"

Nolen hopes to be able to visit Clemson soon

by Jake Pierce - Recruiting Reporter - Thu Feb 11 14:01:04 GMT-04:00 2021

The No. 2-rated player overall in the 2022 class is getting ready to release his top-10 schools, and Clemson looks to be a major contender for the 5-star defensive tackle.

Walter Nolen announced on Twitter that he will be releasing a top-10 on Friday, trimming his list down from over 20 offers that he has already collected.

Nolen is a 6-4, 300-pound defensive lineman from Cordova (TN), currently listed as the No. 2 player in the nation and the No. 1 defensive tackle according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Nolen is a major target in Clemson’s ’22 class, and the 5-star has built a strong relationship with the Tiger staff.

Nolen has primarily been recruited by defensive tackles coach Todd Bates while also hearing from defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

“Coach Bates has been teaching me some stuff and guiding me in the right direction,” Nolen told TigerNet. “He’s been telling me how all of their players play, how I would be a good fit, and just teaching me stuff. Coach Venables is pretty cool. I like what he’s doing with his defense and the program. He loves his job and loves what he does with the kids.”

Nolen has taken virtual tours with multiple schools, including Clemson, Alabama, and LSU. Nolen’s virtual tour with Clemson was hosted by the entire defensive staff, and Nolen came away impressed by the Clemson facilities.

“The facilities were great. I can see why they are one of the top programs in college football,” he said. “I liked what I saw. It was pretty cool just getting to see everything.”

Bates’ message to Nolen of playing early at Clemson is supported by strong evidence, with Clemson leading the nation in the amount of players seeing the field during the 2020 season. Nolen had the chance to watch the Clemson defense in action and feels like he would be a good fit in the Tigers’ defense.

“Yeah, possibly,” Nolen said of joining the Clemson defense. “I like the way they carry themselves. I think they did good to have a lot of young people playing this year.”

When on-campus recruiting resumes, Nolen is hoping to get out and see as many schools as possible. What will Nolen be looking for? And what does he like about Clemson so far?

“I want to get out and see everything,” Nolen said. “If I get a chance, I want to see everything I can. I feel like I’m starting to get a good relationship with every school. Clemson is different from a lot of schools in the way they run things. I’m looking for a family and feeling welcome. Just an overall brotherhood that matches me.”

During the 2020 high school football season, Nolen collected 98 tackles, with 30 tackles for loss and eight sacks. As a 5-star recruit, schools know what they will be getting from Nolen on the field. What will Nolen bring to a program when he decides on his school?

“I feel like they are going to get someone that is going to work hard and do whatever it takes to win for their school and their town.”