BOOOOOM! Four-star edge rusher Julian Walker has committed to Michigan! Lou Esposito has reeled in SIX stud along the defensive line in the Wolverines’ 2026 class. He is on a legendary roll on the recruiting trail:
Lou Esposito is on an all-time heater on the recruiting trail for the Michigan Wolverines , as he reeled in ANOTHER top target in the 2026 class four-star edge rusher Julian Walker .
BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE Julian Walker has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @rivals
The 6’6 250 EDGE from Columbia, SC chose the Wolverines over North Carolina & South Carolina
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a MICHIGAN MAN.”https://t.co/a9ciGx3gYJ pic.twitter.com/wl21hGHrdA
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 1, 2025
The 6-foot-6, 252-pounder hails from Irmo, South Carolina and plays high school football at Dutch Fork High School. Walker earned his offer from Esposito back in February. He took an unofficial visit this spring and then followed that up with an official visit the weekend of June 20.
This is a bit of a surprising commitment, given the fact that his father is on the strength and conditioning staff at South Carolina. For that reason, the Gamecocks have always been viewed as the heavy favorite to land him. However, that doesn’t mean his father wasn’t guiding his son to potentially play college football somewhere else.
“As a parent, I’ve been blown away, and the coaching side of me has been blown away, seeing it from places I’ve been in my life,” Mr. Walker told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($) after his son’s official visit to Michigan. “And, the father in me is like, ‘How in the world, as a father, do you not see yourself in a place like this, that’s so in depth with getting these guys prepared for life and putting a standard up?’ Their standard is out of this world. You’re really at a loss for words. You really are.
“I told coach Moore, ‘I have over and over tried to find excuses to say no, that this isn’t the place, but you guys just continually wow me. You’ve got to call a spade a spade. I was raised to be honest in this business man, and they’ve got something special going on over there, and it’s gonna be interesting for Julian if it is the fit for him.”
247Sports’ Clint Brewster scouted Walker this spring and wrote this about him:
Walker possesses great overall size and length that correlates well to the next level as a 3-4 defensive lineman. He has fluid movements to get past the offensive tackle from both inside and outside rushes. Chases the ball with a great motor and can turn and flatten down the line of scrimmage. Plays with reactive quickness and has a counter move. Walker has the strength and toughness to be disruptive against the run and make plays as a true 3-down player. Depending on body type and how he develops, Walker could potentially move inside on passing downs.
Other than Michigan and South Carolina, Walker also earned offers from North Carolina, NC State, Missouri, Auburn, USC, Kentucky, Syracuse and more.
With Walker now in the fold, Michigan has 19 total commitments and owns the No. 8 ranked recruiting class in 2026, according to 247Sports’ composite. The Wolverines are one spot ahead of Alabama and one spot behind Clemson.
Walker is the sixth player along the defensive line to commit to Michigan, joining four-stars Carter Meadows, Titan Davis, McHale Blade and Alister Vallejo, and three-star Tariq Boney. He ranks No. 4 in his home state, No. 20 at the edge position and No. 197 overall in the 2026 class, according to the composite.
As a junior in 2024, Walker (unofficially, per his Hudl) compiled 44 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Check out some of his best junior year highlights in the video below.