Walter Nolen
Career Summary
Walter Nolen is a defensive tackle from Powell, Tennessee. He played at Texas A&M and Ole Miss before Arizona selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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High School
Nolen attended Powell High School in Tennessee. A five-star recruit, he led Powell to a 13-2 record and Class 5A state championship as a senior after producing 93 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.
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College Career
Nolen appeared in 22 games and made 14 starts across two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss. In 2024 at Ole Miss, he started all 13 games, recording 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
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Path to the NFL
Arizona selected Nolen 16th overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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NFL Career
NFL.com lists Nolen as an active Arizona defensive tackle. Across six games in 2025 and the first two games of 2026, he recorded 14 combined tackles, two sacks, two passes defensed and an opponent fumble recovery.
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Career Accomplishments
Nolen was a 2024 consensus All-American, a first-team All-SEC selection, an Outland Trophy finalist, and a Walter Camp and Bednarik Award semifinalist.
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Playing Style
Nolen plays defensive tackle. At Ole Miss, he helped anchor a defense that led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss in 2024, while ranking among the SEC leaders in tackles for loss.
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Sources for this section
31555, 00-0040706, 2003-10-14, Walter Nolen, Walter, Nolen
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 69.3
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.