Crest High School defensive back Donnie Walton has announced his commitment to Gardner-Webb University, giving the nearby FCS program an early start on its 2026 recruiting class.
Walton — a 6-foot, 170-pound defender from Shelby — plays just 10 minutes down the road from the Gardner-Webb campus in Boiling Springs. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were the first Division I program to offer Walton, according to his social media, extending the scholarship opportunity in February.
While Walton’s junior-year stats (14 tackles, 4 pass breakups per MaxPreps) don’t jump off the page, he was a consistent presence in a Crest defense that limited opposing passing games. According to team reports, he allowed just two completions all season, totaling 20 yards. Crest, coached by Greg Lloyd, posted a 10-3 record in 2024.
Homegrown Recruiting Pipeline
While Gardner-Webb has aggressively mined the transfer portal under second-year head coach Cris Reisert, the Runnin’ Bulldogs continue to connect with local talent. Last week, GWU picked up a commitment from Appalachian State linebacker transfer Cahari Haynes, another Shelby-area product from Burns High School. Haynes appeared in 15 games for App State, recording a sack against ECU and a blocked punt against James Madison in 2024. He totaled 14 tackles on the season.
Three players from Shelby are currently listed on Gardner-Webb’s 2025 spring roster:
- Caleb Borders, WR (Crest) – redshirt senior
- Sam Baldree, LB (Shelby) – senior
- Ben Mauney, QB (Burns) – sophomore
More North Carolina Additions via the Portal
Gardner-Webb also recently added two other in-state FBS transfers in addition to Haynes:
Blake Bradford, OL (Appalachian State → Gardner-Webb) – Denver native, East Lincoln High alum; did not appear in a game at App State.
Jack Reynolds, WR (Charlotte → Gardner-Webb) – Mocksville native, Davie County High alum; 23 games played, 6 career catches.
To see the full list of transfers coming into and leaving Gardner-Webb, visit our FCS Transfer Tracker. To read which North Carolina rising senior high school prospects have committed to college programs already, click on our 2026 North Carolina High School Commitment Tracker
