Gavin Walden, - Prep Redzone

Gavin Walden

Defensive Line

2026 Class

6'2" Height

255 Weight

Eden Prairie School

State Rank
Position Rank

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About Gavin

Gavin Walden is a 6'2" Defensive Line in the 2026 class. Walden attends Eden Prairie in Minnesota. Walden's Player Profile was created on February 4, 2022. Subscribe to Prep Redzone to see where Gavin Walden is ranked and what our scouts have written about them.

Expert Analysis

Oliver West

Prep Redzone Lead Scout

Gavin Walden Gavin Walden 6'2" | 255 lbs | DL Eden Prairie | 2026 State MN (Eden Prairie) DL. – Saw his ranking rise from #24 to #8 in the PRzMN 2026 Rankings Update.

16-spot climb for the exceptional 2026 defensive lineman from powerhouse Eden Prairie. I’ve softened a bit on this over the years, but last 2026 update, I was more inclined to give rankings clout to players with varsity experience, and although I still do, the non-varsity tape Walden was putting out as a freshman made it obvious he had FBS and P4 potential in his coming years as a prospect. It’s harder to come by as a freshman, but in your second year of high school, you generally see the cream of the crop find varsity reps and starting experience, no matter the high school and position they are in. Well, Walden found more than enough varsity reps for a sophomore, helping his Eagles make a 6A state semifinal appearance while working through double teams from Big School Metro OL to earn 55 tackles, 4 sacks, a FF, and a TFL. When you hear about Walden’s prowess in the weight room, the success begins to make sense, as Walden already can bench 350 pounds and clean 320 pounds, and he’s made offseason visits to Iowa State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and UNLV.

The 3T/NG owns rare and dominant power for his age, flashing it on his sophomore tape in a variety of ways, including when he gets up and under blockers to literally lift them off their feet, throw out WWE-worthy suplexes, and send opponents 5 yards through the air and onto their faces when he makes a tackle. A lot of it starts with his overwhelming initial punch and powerful hands, but Walden also displays some twitch off the snap, good balance and a low base and pad level, and good pursuit speed for his size, and a nonstop motor that you love to see when recruiting young defensive linemen. He’s a big hitter who gets the most out of every contact, is instinctive in identifying and sniffing out the ball, particularly in screens, and overall, his power and body control combination, especially for his age, are P4-worthy. What a class of sophomores the Eden Prairie program has on its hands. Right now, it’s headed by Gavin Walden.

Written 2 years ago