Isaac Walker became the second college football player in 14 days to depart the Georgia Southern program prior to the conclusion of the regular season. He left the team on Sunday afternoon after he showed visible frustration during a loss to Troy on Saturday.
The redshirt junior defensive lineman posted a cryptic message on social media to announce his departure. It is full of raw emotion, gratitude and underlying discontent.
Walker, a preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection, was also on the Lombardi Award Watch List as one of the best linemen in the country. However, he did not quitee take the massive third-year jump that everybody expected. That isn’t to say his 23 total tackles, three pass deflections and 1.5 sacks through 10 games is bad. Walker has played well and the Eagles are still in the mix to win the Sun Belt, but a fourth loss over the weekend to an inferior opponent was disappointing.
Something is off. Walker offered the following letter to explain his sudden and fairly surprising exit:
Dear everyone who’s supported me thus far,
I want to clear up any misunderstandings there may be about me. I chose Georgia Southern from the beginning, it was never about money, it was never about gaining recognition, for me it was about contributing to a community and family that deserves the absolute best in Statesboro. So many times I would go to the stadium late at night and shed tears without telling anyone because of how badly I wanted to win here.
The people here have made me feel like I have purpose and actually matter to the world, not only because of football but just as a human being. As I’m typing this at a very vulnerable state right now, I feel encouraged to tell you all that no matter what jersey I am in, if you are a fan of me, you are a fan of honor, a fan of respect and most importantly, you’re a fan of yourself.
Do not be afraid to speak, do not be afraid of the consequences that come from doing so, because I guarantee you the consequences that comes from holding your tongue when you know something isn’t right will be far greater.
To Coach Helton, thank you. You are an honorable man who I am extremely grateful for having a chance to build a relationship with. To my teammates, you know I love you. To the Eagles fanbase, this won’t be the last time you hear from me and it will always be Hail Southern 💙
— 7
It is unclear as to what Walker could be trying to communicate through his goodbye. There is a lack of transparency from the program and there must be some drama going on behind the scenes.
Walker posted the following note on his Instagram story on early Sunday morning:
To all da fans that came out, I apologize.
All I wanted to do was win a championship at Georgia Southern but that ain’t a common goal within the building.
— Isaac Walker
He either left the college football program on his own accord or was asked by the coaching staff to move on shortly after posting on Instagram. Neither the player nor the university indicated one way or another.
In addition to the posts on social media, Isaac Walker showed visible frustration during a timeout on Saturday. It was right before Troy scored for the final time on a quarterback sneak. He was not happy.
DL Isaac Walker is no longer on the Georgia Southern football team, @thejoshaubrey had it first.
— Pat Timlin (@pat_timlin) November 18, 2024
Here's Walker at the end of a timeout right before Troy scored for the final time on a QB sneak Saturday. pic.twitter.com/hAyBGJLjgc
Maybe Walker was silenced. Maybe he had enough, packed his bags and left.
Regardless of how things really went down, he is off of the roster. Two of Georgia Southern’s highest-compensated players through NIL are gone and they left within 14 days of each other. There is cause for concern in Statesboro!