Walter Nolen

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Walter Nolen

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_team = Arizona Cardinals

| number = 97

| position = Defensive end

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|10|14|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 296

| high_school = Powell {{nowrap|(Powell, Tennessee)}}

| college = Texas A&M (2022–2023)
Ole Miss (2024)

| draftyear = 2025

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 16

| pastteams =

Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)

| status = Active

| highlights =

Consensus All-American (2024)
First-team All-SEC (2024)

| statseason = 2025

| statweek =

| statlabel1 = Tackles

| statvalue1 =

| statlabel2 = Sacks

| statvalue2 =

| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles

| statvalue3 =

| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue4 =

| statlabel5 = Pass deflections

| statvalue5 =

| statlabel6 = Interceptions

| statvalue6 =

| statlabel7 = Defensive touchdowns

| statvalue7 =

| pfr = NoleWa00

}}

Walter Nolen III (born October 14, 2003) is an American professional football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and Ole Miss Rebels, earning consensus All-American honors with the latter in 2024. Nolen was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life

Nolen played high school football at three different schools: Olive Branch High School in Olive Branch, Mississippi, as a freshman and sophomore; Saint Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis as a junior; and Powell High School in Powell, Tennessee, as a senior. He also enrolled for a time at IMG Academy but did not play there.{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Khari |date=July 25, 2021 |title=Walter Nolen, nation's No. 1 defensive lineman, transfers from St. Benedict to Powell |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/07/25/football-recruiting-walter-nolen-transfers-st-benedict-powell/7954318002/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |work=Memphis Commercial Appeal}} His coach at Powell, Matt Lowe, described him as "a young man who has been blessed with size, speed and athleticism."{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Douglas |date=November 4, 2021 |title=High School Sports Awards: Meet Tennessee's Walter Nolen III, dominant defender and current No. 1 football recruit in the country |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/highschool/sports-awards/2021/11/04/tennessees-walter-nolen-nations-top-high-school-football-recruit/8582498002/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |work=USA Today}}

In his senior year at Powell, he had 93 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hurries, and 17 sacks.{{cite web|title=Walter Nolen|publisher=Texas A&M University|accessdate=July 28, 2022|url=https://12thman.com/sports/football/roster/walter-nolen/10558}} He was rated by ESPN as the No. 1 football recruit in the 2022 recruiting class.{{cite web|title=2022 ESPN 300|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=July 28, 2022|url=http://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/playerrankings/_/class/2022/order/true}} He was ranked No. 2 by Rivals.com and 247Sports, behind Travis Hunter.{{cite web|title=2022 Top Football Recruits|publisher=247 Sports|accessdate=September 8, 2022|url=https://247sports.com/Season/2022-Football/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool}}

After his senior year, he was invited to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. He was named USA Today High School Defensive Football Player of the Year and was rated as the country's top recruit of the 2022 class by the same publication.{{Cite news |date=July 31, 2022 |title=All winners, USA Today High School Sports Awards: Cade Klubnik, Kiki Rice among recipients |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/highschool/sports-awards/2022/08/01/usa-today-high-school-sports-awards-winners-include-cade-klubnik/10161840002/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |work=USA Today}}

College career

Nolen received offers from numerous schools and narrowed his final five to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee. In November 2021, Nolen committed to play college football for Texas A&M.{{cite web | last=Garcia Jr. | first=John| title=No. 1 Defensive Recruit Walter Nolen Commits to Texas A&M Football | website=SI | date=2021-11-06 | url=https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/06/walter-nolen-commits-texas-am-gig-em-jimbo-fisher | access-date=2025-05-18}} He later paid an official visit to Tennessee, raising speculation that his commitment was uncertain. He then signed his letter of intent with Texas A&M in December 2021.{{cite news|title=Walter Nolen, No. 2 recruit in the nation, signs with Texas A&M on National Signing Day|newspaper=The Knoxville News|author=Emily Adams|date=December 15, 2021|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/12/15/walter-nolen-signs-texas-a-m-aggies-national-signing-day/6486477001/}}{{cite web | last=Garcia Jr.| first=John| title=Top Defensive Recruit Walter Nolen Sticks with Texas A&M on Signing Day | website=SI.com | date=2021-12-15 | url=https://www.si.com/college/2021/12/15/walter-nolen-sticks-with-texas-a-m-on-signing-day | access-date=2025-06-18}} He was part of a recruiting class at Texas A&M that was rated as the best in the history of recruiting rankings.{{Cite web |last=Perroni |first=Brian |date=May 23, 2022 |title=Late Kick: Texas A&M DT Walter Nolen a freaky true freshman to watch this season |url=https://247sports.com/college/texas-am/Article/Walter-Nolen-Texas-AM-football-Late-Kick-true-freshman-five-star-187882023/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=247sports.com}}

On December 24, 2023, Nolen announced he would transfer to Ole Miss.{{cite web | last=Nakos | first=Pete | title=Texas A&M DL transfer Walter Nolen announces commitment | website=On3 | date=2023-12-24 | url=https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/news/walter-nolen-commits-ole-miss-rebels-football-transfer-portal-texas-am/ | access-date=2025-06-18}} At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Nolen was named a consensus first team All-American.{{Cite web |date=December 19, 2024 |title=Walter Nolen Named Consensus All-American |url=https://olemisssports.com/news/2024/12/19/football-walter-nolen-named-consensus-all-american |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Ole Miss Rebels Athletics |language=en}}

= College statistics =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! rowspan="2" \|GP ! colspan="4" \|Tackles ! colspan="4" \|Fumbles ! colspan="4" \|Interceptions
Cmb !Solo !Ast !Sck !FF !FR !Yds !TD !Int !Yds !TD !PD
colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Texas A&M Aggies}};" \|Texas A&M Aggies
2022 \|10 \|29 \|17 \|12 \|1.0 \|1 \|1 \|9 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0
2023 \|12 \|37 \|20 \|17 \|4.0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1
colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Ole Miss Rebels}};" \|Ole Miss Rebels
2024 \|13 \|48 \|25 \|23 \|6.5 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|3
[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/walter-nolen-1.html Career] !35 !114 !62 !52 !11.5 !1 !3 !9 !0 !0 !0 !0 !3

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" |Season

! rowspan="2" |GP

! colspan="4" |Tackles

! colspan="4" |Fumbles

! colspan="4" |Interceptions

Cmb

!Solo

!Ast

!Sck

!FF

!FR

!Yds

!TD

!Int

!Yds

!TD

!PD

colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Texas A&M Aggies}};" |Texas A&M Aggies

2022

|10

|29

|17

|12

|1.0

2023

|12

|37

|20

|17

|4.0

colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels}};" |Ole Miss Rebels

2024

|13

|48

|25

|23

|6.5

[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/walter-nolen-1.html Career]

!35

!114

!62

!52

!11.5

Professional career

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 6

| height in = 3 3/4

| weight = 296

| shuttle = 4.76

| bench = 27

| arm span = 32 1/2

| hand span = 9 1/2

| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Chad |last2=Zierlein |first2=Lance |title=Walter Nolen Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/walter-nolen/32004e4f-4c55-2942-e287-746e6b8b2f55 |access-date=February 28, 2025 |website=NFL.com}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1056985&DraftYear=2025 |title=Walter Nolen College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=February 28, 2025}}

}}

Nolen was drafted in the first round with the 16th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2025 NFL draft.{{cite web|title=Cardinals Select Walter Nolen III In First Round Of 2025 Draft|url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-select-walter-nolen-in-first-round-of-2025-draft|author=Urban, Darren|website=AZCardinals.com|date=April 24, 2025}}

References

External links

[https://www.azcardinals.com/team/players-roster/walter-nolen/ Arizona Cardinals bio]
[https://olemisssports.com/sports/football/roster/walter-nolen/5283 Ole Miss Rebels profile]
[https://12thman.com/sports/football/roster/walter-nolen/11557 Texas A&M Aggies profile]

{{2024 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}

Category:2003 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football defensive tackles

Category:Texas A&M Aggies football players

Category:Ole Miss Rebels football players

Category:Players of American football from Tennessee

Category:Sportspeople from Knox County, Tennessee

Category:Arizona Cardinals players