'PROGRAM CHANGER': Osceola All-American John Walker becomes UCF's highest-ranked signee

Before he's taken his first college football snap, John Walker has already become something of a legend at UCF.

Walker, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle from Kissimmee's Osceola High, signed his national letter of intent Wednesday with the Knights and officially became their highest-ranked recruit of all-time. The consensus four-star prospect and Under Armour NEXT All-American has top-200 national grades from four major recruiting services: ESPN (88th), 247Sports (109th), On3 Sports (140th) and Rivals (185th).

Knights head coach Gus Malzahn not only believes Walker is the top defensive tackle in the country, but a potential "program changer" for his hometown school.

"He could have went anywhere he wanted," said Malzahn, who began recruiting Walker while still in charge at Auburn. "There was some schools that really came after him — like hard with a capital 'H', hard — but he stuck with us. This guy's going to be a great player for us."

Walker fielded nearly three-dozen Division I football offers in total, including just about every major brand and championship contender in the sport. Following his official visit to UCF the first weekend of June, Walker toured Michigan, Miami and Ohio State to close out the month.

Even after Walker committed to UCF on July 28, Florida spent the entire fall trying to flip him, inviting him to just about every Saturday game in the Swamp and bringing him up for a visit the weekend of Dec. 9-11.

"It wasn't just six months' worth of pushing from Florida. It was six months' worth of pushing from everyone," Osceola head coach Eric Pinellas said.

And yet, Walker held firm and chose the Knights — and the vision set forth by Malzahn and, most importantly, defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin. He likes the opportunity to make an immediate impact, to be a part of UCF's debut campaign in the Big 12, the relationship he built along the way with Martin and, of course, the chance to compete on a grand stage less than an hour from home.

"That really does mean something to me. I've lived here my whole life, born in Orlando and raised in Kissimmee," Walker said, referring to UCF's 'Hometown Hero' recruiting push. "I can do it in front of all my friends, all my loved ones.

"Hearing (what Malzahn said) is really an honor. That's the head coach, that's the head man. I was watching the press conference, and I liked the things he was saying. But I can't just let him say it and then not do it. I've got a lot more things to prove in the future. I've got a lot of work to do."

Walker played a pivotal role in Osceola's run to the Class 4S Final Four, alongside fellow D-I defenders Derrick LeBlanc (Oklahoma), Ja'Keem Jackson (Florida) and Bo Mascoe (Rutgers). In his four-year career with the Kowboys, he totaled 146 solo tackles, 57 tackles for loss and 40 sacks.

Andrew Ivins, 247Sports' director of scouting, has described Walker as a "trench bully." Multiple Vero Beach coaches told USA TODAY Florida Sports Network recruiting writer Jon Santucci, he's the best interior defensive lineman they had ever seen. Travis Roland, head coach of Class 3S runner-up Mainland, put him on par with Georgia star and likely first-round draft pick Jalen Carter.

"He's like a carbon copy," Roland said. "Just the dominance. When a high school kid can take another high school kid about four yards in the backfield, there's almost nothing you can do. … You can try to cut him, but he's so athletic that even that is tough to do."

Add Malzahn to the list of those impressed with Walker in-person. The All-American, set to enroll in January, started participating in practices Monday as the Knights prepare for the Military Bowl against Duke on Dec. 28 in Annapolis, Maryland.

Walker is determined to absorb the playbook, build camaraderie with his new teammates and get accustomed to the speed of the college game. Asked about first impressions on the field, Malzahn said Walker comes as advertised.

"He's everything I thought he'd be," Malzahn said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: National signing day: Osceola four-star John Walker signs with UCF