NSD Profile: Roland Walder
Roland Walder didn't seek out a lot of attention after he committed to Kentucky.
The Trotwood-Madison (Ohio) linebacker let his game do all the talking.
6-foot-3, 230 pounds
Trotwood-Madison (Ohio)
Rank: Three stars (5.6), No. 40 OLB nationally, No. 26 player in Ohio
Recruiting Rewind
Not one for drama, Walder conducted most of his recruiting business in quiet and away from the public eye. He committed extremely early in the recruiting process, right around the time cornerback Jordan Griffin committed to Kentucky. That was all the way back in October of 2014, right in the middle of Mark Stoops' second season.
Since that time Walder has become very close with a lot of other Kentucky commitments. He has frequently visited UK. Off the radar plenty of other schools, including Pitt and Nebraska just to name two, have expressed continued interest in Walder. He's listened, but he hasn't wavered.
Scout Speak
Just as fellow linebacker commitment Jamar Watson has added weight to his frame at a good pace, so has Walder. The two are somewhat similar in terms of their build.
When Cats Illustrated watched Walder at the Rivals Camp in Cleveland he looked like the second-best linebacker in the group, at least to us (five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes was there, and he's a specimen who stands out everywhere). Walder is good on his feet and has the ability to develop into a solid player in coverage.
He's a good blitzer who times the snap well and finds the right gap to shoot through. His straight line speed is impressive and he doesn't miss a lot of plays in the backfield. He plays assignment football and has been an exceptionally productive high school player on offense and defense (and, surprisingly, special teams -- as a punter).
Walder will make a defense faster and one of the most encouraging things about him is his flexibility.
Setting the Bar
Walder is a more polished linebacker than Watson although there are similarities between the two. He has been part of a winning football team and program, and he loves the game. His size is improving and he plays the game fast. Ideally he would be able to redshirt for a year and gradually become acclimated to life in the SEC, but he's not the kind of project like Watson is (or like Nico Firios or Kobie Walker, in that regard) from the past).