By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
Georgetown running back Jett Walker doesn’t ease into games.
He takes them over.
As a junior, Walker rushed for more than 1,800 yards, delivered three separate 200-yard perfor-mances and powered the Eagles into the Class 5A playoffs, advancing to the second round. That production turned him into one of the state’s most sought-after recruits. His recruiting journey eventually took him to Morgantown, West Virginia.
Now, heading into his senior season, Walker is committed to the Mountaineers, where he’ll join a program known for its long lineage of standout running backs.
Choosing the Mountaineers
Walker’s recruitment took off quickly last fall, as highlight reels of his breakaway runs and 200-yard games caught the attention of college coaches – in particular, new WVU coach Rich Rodriguez, who has a reputation for recruiting top running backs.
“West Virginia just felt right,” Walker said. “When I visited Morgantown, I saw how much they value the run game and their running backs. It reminded me of what we do here at Georgetown and felt like a place I wanted to be.”
The Mountaineers didn’t just sell him on opportunity. They sold him on tradition.
Running backs have long been at the heart of the West Virginia offense – from Amos Zereoué and Avon Cobourne in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to Steve Slaton and Noel Devine during the Mountaineers’ Big East glory days.
For Walker, who grew up studying the position and modeling his game after versatile backs who could both power through defenders and explode outside, the fit felt natural.
“Jett’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he has that one-step burst that separates the good from the great,” Georgetown head coach Chuck Griffin said. “West Virginia has always had backs who play with toughness and explosiveness. That’s who he is.”
A breakout junior year
Before the recruiting hype and scholarship offers, Walker had to prove himself. The 2024 season became his coming-out party.
Georgetown entered the year with questions on offense after graduating key playmakers. Walker answered them all.
He finished the season with more than 1,800 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, carrying an of-fense that leaned on him more as the season progressed.
The numbers only tell part of the story. His consistency week after week impressed coaches most. Walker topped the 100-yard mark in all but two games, and on three different occasions, he eclipsed 200 yards.
247 yards, 4 TDs vs. district rival – Walker’s statement game came when the Eagles needed him most, turning a tight contest into a runaway win.
230 yards, 3 TDs in the playoffs – Against a higher-seeded opponent, Walker dominated from start to finish, setting the tone for a postseason upset.
202 yards in a midseason win – In a game where Georgetown’s passing attack struggled, Walker’s steady production controlled the tempo.
Georgetown’s outlook
The Eagles finished 8-3 last season, bowing out in the second round of the playoffs. With Walker back, expectations are higher.
Georgetown’s district remains as competitive as ever, with programs like Cedar Park and College Station continuing to reload. But Griffin believes the Eagles’ balance could be the difference this fall.
Quarterback development has given the offense another dimension, and the defense – with multi-ple starters returning – showed flashes late in the 2024 season that it could be a strength.
Still, Walker is the focal point of a balanced offense that features junior quarterback Kaleb McDougle and dynamic wide receiver Xavier Warren. His presence forces defenses to stack the box, which should open opportunities for the passing game. The more balanced Georgetown can become, the more dangerous Walker will be.
“We know defenses are going to key on him,” Griffin said. “That’s no secret. But Jett embraces it. He wants the pressure. He wants the ball with the game on the line.”
A future Mountaineer, a present Eagle
Walker’s commitment to West Virginia secures his future, but in many ways, it sharpens his focus on his senior season. He knows what he’ll be stepping into in Morgantown. For now, though, he’s more concerned with what’s in front of him in Georgetown.
“Jett has worked for everything he’s earned,” Griffin said. “He’s a leader in the locker room, a competitor on the field and a kid who represents Georgetown the right way.”
When he eventually trades in Eagle blue for West Virginia’s gold and blue, Walker will join a tradi-tion of Mountaineer running backs who carried both a program and a fan base on their shoulders. But here in Central Texas, his legacy is already secure.
Before he heads east, he has one more fall under the lights at Birkelbach to write the final chapter of his Georgetown story.
