Ponchatoula (LA) Ponchatoula wide receiver Amorion Walker flipped from Notre Dame to Michigan on National Signing Day. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, and the aforementioned Fighting Irish, among others.
Walker is listed at 6'4" and 175 lbs., and he runs the 100 meters in a reported 10.8 seconds. He claims a 4.5 forty, a 38" vertical, and 4.2 short shuttle.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #45 WR
On3: 3-star, 88 grade, #71 WR
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #40 ATH
247 Sports: 3-star, 87 grade, #47 ATH
Hit the jump for more on Walker's commitment.
Walker committed to Notre Dame in March of 2021 before Michigan was really on him. But his head coach was safeties coach Ron Bellamy's head coach in high school, so as Bellamy got his feet under him (this is Bellamy's first year coaching college ball), his connections started to come into play. Michigan extended an offer in June, but I assumed it would be another wasted effort. Michigan and Notre Dame are in similar places as far as exposure and academics - as well as distance from Louisiana - so I did not think the pull of Michigan would hold much sway. But I was wrong. A flip was expected, or at least possible, for several weeks and Waker finally pulled the trigger on National Signing Day.
Walker has good speed, which can be seen on the field as well as in his track times. He has the ability to get skinny at the line of scrimmage to avoid contact, and then he has the acceleration to get separation and stack defensive backs. He also shows the ability to make acrobatic catches with his long, 6'4" frame. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he shows some nice change-of-direction skills for his size. He runs with good body lean and should gain some extra yards after the catch.
I like Walker more as a receiver than a defensive back. I know some people like him as a corner, but he needs to get physically stronger. He lacks a little bit of aggression, and he does not have the best hips to turn and run or break on the ball.
Overall, Walker is a good prospect that I would liken somewhat to former Michigan Wolverine (and Baylor Bear) Darryl Stonum. Stonum was a speed demon who had decent size but was a little bit raw. (He also had some off-the-field issues, but that's not what I'm referencing here at all; I have no indication that Walker has off-the-field issues.) Stonum made a few big plays and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his time at Michigan, but he never produced what was expected of him and he ended up as a so-so play for Baylor. Walker has the potential to have a better career than what Stonum had, but it just depends on how hard he works in the weight room and how much he develops his skills.
Michigan has three wide receivers in the 2022 class, where Walker joins Tyler Morris and Darrius Clemons. The Wolverines have not signed a player from Louisiana since 2010, when they landed both wide receiver Drew Dileo and safety Carvin Johnson. He's the first Michigan player to come from Ponchatoula.
TTB Rating: 77
Size & speed. Plenty of competition in the WR room to allow this young man to develop
ReplyDeleteGood get!
Tall receiver without elite speed and I get skeptical. Tall receiver with elite speed and I get excited. The Stonum example is a reality check but that's how it goes.*
ReplyDeleteWhat I love to hear is when the "area for improvement" is a thing that most every player is going to improve at a college level.
*The culture was not real strong during that Carr-Rodriguez transition phase and a few guys got lost on the way. Now we have continuity and a clear vision. That was true before beating Ohio State but now everyone agrees. We'll still lose some guys because that's just how it goes but hopefully fewer than in years past.