I saw the headline about a new USAgent series and was totally prepared not to care much about it. Now I do.
Walker doesn't need a partner he can mentor ... he needs a partner that can mentor him.
I'd actually team him with Sam. I think it would actually be good for him. Though their last encounter wasn't exactly under the best of terms.
How would Walker teaming up with Sam be good for Sam? I know people love Sam in that beta support role, but let's pretend for a minute that Sam is the legitimate alpha. Why would he team up with Walker?
Are there any available LGBTQA heroes that can partner up with Walker? Maybe even someone who hasn't come out yet?
D-Man is a fellow Cap-related character and he and Walker even have a little bit of history, since USAgent and Falcon once teamed up to rescue a nearly catatonic D-Man from Flag Smasher. More recently both D-Man and USAgent were part of a task force that Falcon and Bucky assembled to hunt the 'new' Ronin in HAWKEYE: FREEFALL.
Walker doesn't need a mentor/mentee partnership...he needs an equal partner...much like Steve and Bucky or Steve and Sam.
Just find another stone cold operator type for him to work with.
I assume people suggesting Sam as a partner is because of their political and philosphical differences would make them clash in interesting ways. Still him being a partner in a book about US Agent makes him a sidekick whether he's actually that in story or not. I'm hoping they give Sam another book when his series comes out. It would short sighted not to give it another try.