Shanna Rose I WV Sports Chat
When Jordan Walker transferred from Chattanooga to West Virginia University, he wasn’t fazed by the move to the Power Four level. Instead, he embraced the challenge.
“Moving up to this level, I won’t say it’s been like a huge difference for me because I’ve got a lot of snaps up under my belt and I’ve got a lot of experience,” Walker said. “So coming to this level, I feel like the adjustment wasn’t huge. My main adjustment was just getting the playbook down and playing at the same speed that I’ve always been playing at. I mean, you got a couple better athletes skill wise on this level and then just a couple bigger more players on the line of scrimmage. But other than that, it’s just been a game of football and football is football.”
For the senior defensive back, the biggest change has come in the details of the defense.
“Coming from where I came from, it’s a big difference,” he said. “Having coach (Zac) Alley as my defense coordinator, smart, smart defensive coordinator, genius. He’s got a lot of different things he liked to throw at people. So at my old school, it was more of, we just going to be simple and we just going to go out here and not execute you. So here just more, more of a deeper playbook, more of options.
Adjusting to Coach Alley’s complex defensive scheme has been demanding, but for Walker, the challenge has come with plenty of excitement and enthusiasm.
“It’s a little challenging, but once you get it down, it’s fun,” he said. “Coach Alley gonna put you in the best position to make plays. So yeah, coming here and trying to learn his playbook, it was definitely challenging, but if you love the game, you’re gonna go home, you’re gonna study like hard as you can and try to get them plays down so you can go out there and be yourself. So, I think I did a great job of that. And ever since I’ve just got it down, package has been fun playing in this defense, cause you’re gonna be able to make a lot of plays.”
“I’m a smart football player,” Walker said. “My IQ for the game and just with me having a lot of snaps up on my belt, like I said earlier, I feel like that’s my biggest strength right now. 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. So I feel like just my experience and how long I’ve been playing this game of football at the college level is like my biggest strength right now.”
The Lafayette high school alum’s confidence isn’t just about knowledge of the playbook—it’s about the way he plays the game. A physical and instinctive player, he prides himself on using his size and smarts to make an impact in the secondary.
When the 6-foot, 195-pound safety decided to join the Mountaineers, it was a simple decision. Head coach Rich Rodriguez and Alley had a vision for the program and Walker bought into it.
They wanted to bring back a culture of winning. Walker was drawn to a program that values physical play, speed, and teamwork, guided by coaches who emphasize both player development and competitive excellence.
“When I came on my visit and I met them, sat down with them, just talking to them, I seen what their vision was for this program,” Walker said. “And I seen like how Coach Rich Rod, he only cares about ball. He just wants you to go out there and play hard, play fast, play physical.And he liked to win, and I liked to win as well. So that had a big factor on me coming here. And Coach Alley just knowing what type of defensive coordinator he is and how versatile he is. And I wanted to expand my game a little bit more and be versatile on the field. And I felt like being in Coach Alley’s defense that helped me do that. So that’s had a big impact on me coming here to WVU.”
From the beginning, the Lafayette, Alabama native felt right at home in the Mountain State.
“I won’t say that was too difficult, because this here is like this football team is very family oriented. brought me in with open arms, even the coaching staff and everybody in this town as well,” he said. “So, it was an easy transition .for me because I felt at home like right away. Everybody welcomed me in with open arms and everybody got great personalities around here and everybody’s for you, ain’t nobody against you.”
With his experience and leadership, the redshirt senior is confident in the defensive backfield as a whole. He sees a group of players who are talented, motivated, and continuously pushing each other to improve.
“One thing about this group that we got here now, we got some ballers in here,” he said. “We got some good amount of experienced guys that also have been playing for a while. And we got some players that can go out there and learn the game fast and go out there and play fast. Coaches did a great job of bringing in such great DBs and that’s made it very competitive back there. So every day people are just getting better.”
For Walker, success comes from focusing on himself and helping the team, not comparing himself to others.
“At the end of the day, I’m at the point in my career, I feel like it’s me versus me,” he said. I don’t try to too much compare myself or nothing like that. I feel like if I focus on me and making my team better, I feel like that’ll make all my goals and everything I want to happen fall in place for me.
As WVU prepares for the upcoming season, Walker’s combination of experience, football IQ, and adaptability will be crucial to the Mountaineers’ defensive ambitions. With a veteran presence like his in the secondary, WVU is counting on him to be a leader both on and off the field.
