Jailin Walker is back from injury and ready to ‘fly around, make plays and enjoy it’ for Indiana football

When Jailin Walker transferred to the Indiana football program, Curt Cignetti was expecting him to be a major part of the transition process — but in a much different way than how he impacted the game a season ago.

Walker dealt with a shoulder injury that kept him out all of spring practice. But, he was back on the field for Wednesday’s fall camp opener and is now full steam ahead into the season.

Despite not playing the last few months, he was as active on the sidelines as he was on the field a season ago.

“Last year, I tore my labrum in my shoulder. So in the spring I didn’t play, I was more of like a coach — they called me coach Jay-Walk,” Walker told reporters on Thursday. “I just was on the sideline like coaching up the guys, just praying every day that I have a speedy recovery. We had a great training system here, and just praying every day and just relying on the guys.”

Walker finished the 2023 season with 61 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles before his injury.

He paired with Aiden Fisher to make one of the best and most productive linebacking cores in the conference and the country. Now, they are teaming up in Bloomington as the backbone of the Indiana football defense with defensive coordinator Bryant Haines.

“He relies on us heavily,” Walker said of the linebackers. “Since he’s the defensive coordinator, he expects us to know as much as he knows. We just know the whole defense. We have to know what the defensive linemen are doing, the cornerbacks, safeties, the linebackers are the quarterbacks of the defense. We train in the meeting room, and he gets us right.”

Walker played in 31 games with 20 starts in three years at JMU under Cignetti and Haines. He is a two-time honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference player with 142 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 13 pass breakups.

“It’s fun. The motto is Fast, Physical, Relentless,” Walker said. “Haines defense revolves around scheme, blitzes and he says freedom equals discipline. He’s just letting us fly around, make plays and enjoy it with the guys.” 

The 2024 season will highlight the first season in over 70 years that Indiana football will not have team captains. But, it’s clear players like Walker will be held in high regard this year based on his overall playing experience and experience under Cignetti.

He has been part of a group that had a 31-6 record in his three years at James Madison under Cignetti.

That has given him great insight into the messaging that his former coaching staff is prioritizing with Indiana football.

“I’ve been with Coach Cig for four years,” Walker said. “That was just the standard for me coming in my freshman year. Consistency it builds confidence, and it builds power so being consistent every day makes you a better team. So, every day we just try to lock in and be consistent.”

SEE ALSO: Curt Cignetti emphasizing ‘consistency of performance’ as fall camp opens for Indiana football

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