Best Indiana Football Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 13 Jailin Walker

Most sports fans probably dreamed of playing their favorite sport at a high-profile level.

There are countless fans who come to Indiana’s Memorial Stadium each year wishing they had the chance to be Hoosier football players themselves.

Given that, a great route for a player to become a fan favorite is to show an appreciation for what they achieved. Sullen heroes are harder to wrap your arms around. Joyous heroes, who understand how fortunate they are to have the God-given talent to play the game, are appreciated because fans can identify with their thankful approach to the station in life they’ve achieved.

The player who embodied that spirit for Curt Cignetti’s 2024 football team was linebacker Jailin Walker. He approached his job with a thankful joy that was infectious.

He was part of a group of diverse personalities on the Indiana defense. Defensive end Mikail Kamara was the brash talker who backed it up with excellence in pressuring quarterbacks. Fellow linebacker Aiden Fisher was cut straight out of linebacker-as-leader central casting. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds was extremely business-like and let his blanket coverage do his talking for him.

Walker was thankful because like so many of his James Madison teammates that transferred into Indiana, few predicted he would play at the Big Ten level.

“It's amazing coming from being a G5 recruit, just seeing how this place can change, being able to see how a program like Indiana can change. It feels amazing to see how Coach Cignetti can build a program like this,” Walker said in December.

Walker was an important part of Indiana’s defense that went from 359 points allowed in 2023 to 203 in 2024. He also played an integral role in Indiana’s run defense. The Hoosiers led the country in run defense by allowing just 81.2 yards per game.

Walker was second on the Hoosiers in tackles with 82 and added two sacks and two interceptions. He nearly caught Ponds in passes defended. Ponds led with nine, and Walker had eight.

Walker was consistent as he recorded 7-to-10 tackles in seven games. He peaked with 10 in the College Football Playoff loss at Notre Dame.

Walker was not taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, but has signed as a free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders. Whether he makes the team or not, Walker will go about his duties with a smile on his face. Just as he did in 2024 when his personal joy reflected the communal happiness Indiana fans had in the success Walker helped bring to the program.

Previous football top 16 players of the 2020s

No. 14 - CJ West.
No. 15 - Ty Fryfogle.
No. 16 - Mike Katic.