Columbia (S.C.) Dutch Fork four-star EDGE Julian Walker is staying home. He announced on Thursday morning that he has flipped his commitment from Michigan to South Carolina.
Both the Gamecocks and North Carolina have been in heavy pursuit of the pass-rusher down the stretch. He did not sign on Wednesday and Shane Beamer’s program has now landed a crucial flip, adding a big piece to their 2026 class. Walker’s father is on the South Carolina strength staff.
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“The fact that my father is there is always the most important thing to me,” Walker previously told Rivals. “He has trained and developed me my whole life. I’m most familiar with the weight room and how they do things. I know I’ll be developed physically at a high level. Then there’s Sterling Lucas, he’s my guy. He the one who stays in contact with me, and it’s not just ball.”
Walker is the No. 72 overall prospect and No. 11 EDGE in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the top-ranked recruit in the Palmetto State.
Rivals ranks Walker higher than other recruiting services. He checks in as the No. 26 recruit and No. 6 EDGE in the updated Rivals300 rankings.
Walker was a frequent visitor at Williams-Brice Stadium this fall. Michigan originally landed his commitment on July 1, but the proximity to South Carolina and the family ties continued to give it an advantage heading into the signing period.
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He gives the Gamecocks a fourth top-100 prospect in their top-20 class. Earlier on Thursday, Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett reported that four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth is going to sign with the program instead of flipping to LSU.
Scout’s Take on Julian Walker
Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire previously said this of Walker as a prospect:
“Julian Walker has prototypical size and athletic ability with fantastic block disruption. As a senior, he’s been able to collect nearly 15 tackles-for-loss. And standing at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, Walker plays with phenomenal pad level and impressive bend given his size. Even at 255 pounds, he’s not nearly filled out in his frame. He has so much room to develop and add substantial mass to his frame. He has the body type, physicality and athleticism to potentially play along the entire line of scrimmage outside of nose tackle. All the way from 3-technique to a stand-up edge, Walker has all of the physical and athletic tools that defensive coaches covet at the position and his potential is as high as anybody in the entire 2026 cycle along the line of scrimmage.”
