'The Walking Dead' Casts Former 'Sons of Anarchy' Star Ryan Hurst as Beta

The Whisperers are on their way to The Walking Dead this season, and AMC has found a fan-favorite TV veteran to portray the group's most notorious villain.

According to a new report from The Wrap, former Sons of Anarchy star Ryan Hurst has been tapped to play Beta on The Walking Dead in Season 9. Beta is the second-in-command to Alpha in the Whisperers, and he grows to become a major adversary to the survivors in the comics.

Hurst will be the third member of the Whisperers to join The Walking Dead Season 9. Samantha Morton has joined the show as Alpha, the leader of the group when they cross paths with the Survivors. Cassady McClincy was cast as Lydia, Alpha's daughter and eventual love interest to Carl in the comics. With Carl off of the show, it's unclear how Lydia will fit into the TV series.

You may remember Hurst from his starring role in Disney's Remember The Titans back in 2001, where the actor played team captain Gerry Bertier. After appearing in several films in the years that followed, Hurst became a household name with his role on Sons of Anarchy.

The actor appeared in 54 episodes of the series before his character, Opie Winston, was tragically killed off in the middle of Season 5. Hurst went on to appear in 15 episodes of Bates Motel, and landed a starring role in WGN America's Outsiders. He was recently cast in the upcoming season of Bosch on Amazon Prime.

What do you think about the casting of Ryan Hurst as Beta in The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments below!

The Walking Dead will return for its ninth season in the fall. Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC, and returned for the second half of its fourth season on Aug. 12. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.