SLU’s Devan Walker embraces move to LB
SLU defender Devan Walker, a former Catholic High standout, makes a tackle against Nicholls State in Thibodaux.
Former defensive lineman switching to linebacker for Lions
HAMMOND — Devan Walker and the Southeastern Louisiana University football coaching staff are hoping they’ve found the perfect match for each other.
Walker, a former Catholic High School standout, is making the move to outside linebacker for his senior season after playing defensive end during his previous seasons with the Lions.
Walker said he learned of the move when SLU hosted a group of recruits during a weekend of official visits, and he was introduced as an outside linebacker.
“I didn’t crack a smile, but inside I was smiling so hard,” Walker said Saturday at SLU’s media day at Strawberry Stadium. “I was just happy that I finally was able to play the position I always wanted to play.”
SLU coach Ron Roberts may have been smiling as well after getting a look at Walker’s skill set.
“The profile we look for, we want a guy that can pass rush, we want a guy that’s fast enough to run things down in the alley and we want a guy that is obviously physical enough to play on a tight end,” Roberts said. “So he fit that mold.”
Walker, however, said he’s had to go through a learning process while adjusting to his new position.
“There’s a difference between reading one offensive lineman to having to read three and four offensive linemen, guards pulling and knowing coverages and knowing routes,” Walker said. “It’s definitely been a lot of thinking, a lot of studying.”
On top of that, the Lions are moving to a 3-3-5 defense, which Walker has never played in his career. But he’s not overly concerned about his lack of experience in the scheme.
“I feel like it can only be difficult if I didn’t embrace it with open arms,” Walker said. “I embraced it with open arms, and my coaches have been very supportive of me. They help me every which way they can. You know, they never make me feel like a dummy, and they never make me feel like I’m asking for too much. They’ve been supporting me, which is building my confidence even more.”
But SLU defensive coordinator Pete Golding said Walker has also helped himself during the transition.
“He has, obviously, some natural football instincts, but he has some natural football intelligence as well,” Golding said. “He was one of the smarter football players. Football comes easy to Devan, and one of the good things about it too was he was excited about the move.”
And Golding said that’s translated to a solid fall camp for Walker, who had 51 tackles with 13 for loss last season.
“The big question ... moving him from defensive end to outside linebacker was going to be the coverage,” Golding said. “But from spring to now, he’s made a big stride and that concept of the coverages and all of that comes natural to him. He’s a gifted athlete. He’s a lot better in space than we anticipated.
“We knew he was going to be fine on the edge because he had been down there with his hand in the ground, and we knew he was going to be great doing that, but we were really surprised by how good he was on the stack. We think he’s going to have a really, really good year.”
Walker is hoping all of the changes — a new coach, new position and new scheme — add up to more wins for the Lions, who are coming off a 3-8 season.
“We’re tired of losing — bottom line,” Walker said. “I mean, who wants to lose their whole college career?”
QB update
Roberts said the Lions will go with Nathan Stanley over Brian Young as the team’s starting quarterback.
Stanley, an Ole Miss transfer, played in five game’s last season as Young’s backup, throwing for 282 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
Young, who started 11 games last season, passed for 2,855 yards, 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of faith in both of them,” Roberts said. “Right now, going through this fall camp again, Stanley’s been the guy that probably had a little bit more spark, a little more consistent, has probably protected the ball a little bit better. But B.J. is an extremely competitive person that I know when his number is called, he’s going to produce.”