Gophers cornerback Justin Walley says he'll return for 2024 season

The junior from Mississippi earned honorable mention All-Big Ten this season and led the Gophers with eight pass breakups.

December 5, 2023 at 4:58AM
Minnesota defensive back Justin Walley (5) celebrates his interception with defensive back Tre'Von Jones (2) during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa. Minnesota won 12-10. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)
Justin Walley (5) celebrated with fellow cornerback Tre’Von Jones after intercepting a pass during the Gophers’ 12-10 win at Iowa. (Matthew Putney, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The free-for-all that is the 30-day window for college football's transfer portal opened Monday, with nearly 650 players across the country entering their names into the database in hopes of landing with another team.

For the Gophers, retaining their best players is important, and one of their top defensive players announced he'll remain with the program in 2024.

Cornerback Justin Walley, a junior who has been a starter for the past 2½ seasons, posted on the X platform that he'll return for his senior season, crediting the Dinkytown Athletes name, image and likeness collective. An honorable mention All-Big Ten performer, Walley led the Gophers with eight pass breakups and ranked eighth with 41 tackles.

View post on X

The D'Iberville, Miss., native has been a key player for Minnesota since he started the final six games of the 2021 season and earned true freshman All-America honors from 247Sports. This season, he had impactful games against Nebraska, when he had eight tackles and a forced fumble, and Iowa, when he had four tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.

The Gophers lost one scholarship player to the portal on Monday. Reserve offensive lineman Tyrell Lawrence, who did not see game action in three years at Minnesota, entered his name into the portal, he announced on the X platform.

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about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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