CORONA — Centennial High football standout Jaden Walk-Green has played few, if any, snaps on the offensive side of the ball the past two seasons.
But that hasn’t prevented Walk-Green from making frequent trips to the end zone.
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Centennial junior safety Jaden Walk-Green has been selected as the IE Varsity Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025 football season in Corona on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. Walk-Green intercepted 10 passes this season and scored six defensive touchdowns for the Huskies. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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Centennial junior safety Jaden Walk-Green has been selected as the IE Varsity Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025 football season in Corona on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. Walk-Green intercepted 10 passes this season and scored six defensive touchdowns for the Huskies. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
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Walk-Green led the Huskies with 125 tackles and set a program record with 10 interceptions, and the 6-foot, 190-pound junior safety returned half those picks for touchdowns. He also returned one fumble for a touchdown and matched the program record with six defensive scores. Walk-Green further showed his athleticism by returning kicks and handling placekicking duties for the Huskies.
With Walk-Green in the secondary, Centennial reached the CIF Southern Section’s Division 1 final for the first time in a decade.
For those reasons, Walk-Green has been selected the IE Varsity Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025 season.
Walk-Green played both sides of the football for Centennial’s freshman team in 2023, with most of his offensive snaps coming as the team’s quarterback. Walk-Green’s fastest track to the varsity team was as a defender, so his days on offense came to an end.
“We knew he could help us immediately as a safety, so we decided it was best to plug him into that spot his sophomore season,” Huskies coach Matt Logan said. “He is such a great playmaker, and we’re probably going to be using him on offense next year.”
Walk-Green’s athleticism is unquestioned, and he became the starting center fielder for Centennial’s baseball team last season.
“I think being a center fielder has made me an even better safety,” Walk-Green said. “You’re reading plays and tracking the ball.”
Walk-Green had impressive moments during his sophomore season, but few could have foreseen the numbers he would put up during the 2025 campaign. He intercepted at least one pass in seven games and scored defensive touchdowns in six contests.
“It was amazing to watch him with the ball in his hands,” Logan said. “At some point, getting to the end zone was just expected.”
Walk-Green intercepted a pair of passes in Centennial’s Division 1 playoff opener against Servite. He returned the first one for a touchdown, giving Walk-Green six defensive scores and equaling the program record set by Danny Foster in 2001. Walk-Green added another pick in the fourth quarter, his 10th interception of the year to break the previous record set by John Harris in 1990.
“Knowing that my name is at the top of those lists means a lot to me,” Walk-Green said of his record-breaking season. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work in the offseason to get better and better. To see that correlating on the field and games is a great feeling.”
Interceptions returned for touchdowns are also known as pick sixes. But Walk-Green’s teammates came up with a new term whenever he brought one back for a touchdown — pick sevens, because Walk-Green remained on the field and kicked the extra point.
Walk-Green’s unique combination helped him finish second on the team with 117 points despite not scoring any touchdowns on offense. In addition to the defensive scores, he returned a punt for a touchdown, and kicked four field goals and 63 extra points.
“We were looking for a kicker and Jaden stepped on up,” Logan said. “His leg turned out to be a big asset in quite a few games.”
Walk-Green already has received more than a dozen Division I offers, a number that will only increase over the next 12 months. Safety will remain Walk-Green’s primary position next season, but he perked up when asked about an occasional role on offense.
“I miss it. I miss it every day,” Walk-Green said about playing on offense. “I want to play it and help my team any way that I can.”
