The Wolverine

March 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 70 of 99

MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 71 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE AMORION WALKER WIDE RECEIVER 6-4 • 180 PONCHATOULA H.S. PONCHATOULA, LA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 460 73 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 87 23 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 100 31 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 22 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 44 16 STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD 2021 — — 8 2020* 8 80 2 2019 23 489 2 2018 31 564 4 * Played only three games due to injury HONORS • Named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2021 Class 5A state title game after making eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. • Helped team finish 12-1 as the 5A state runners-up his junior year. • Invited to the Under Armour All- American Game as a senior. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Dec. 15, 2021, after picking up his offer from the Maize and Blue in June 2021. • Was previously committed to Notre Dame before flipping to Michigan on National Signing Day. Also had offers from Alabama and LSU, among others. • Recruited by U-M assistant Ron Bel- lamy, who was coaching safeties at the time but is moving over to receiv- ers, where he will mentor Walker. DID YOU KNOW? • Is an early enrollee at Michigan. • Also lettered in track and field. • Played both ways for Ponchatoula. • Born Oct. 7, 2003. THEY SAID IT Ponchatoula head coach Hank Tier- ney: "He's one of the fastest kids I've ever coached. He's legitimately a 4.3 [in the 40-yard dash] guy. He's 6-4. He's a 3.8 student in honors classes. He could play corner. He could play receiver. At 6-4 with those type of skills, he could have gone anywhere. He wants to play receiver, so I think he'll play receiver in college. But he is good enough to be a college corner." BY TIM VERGHESE For nine months, Ponchatoula (La.) High wide receiver Amorion Walker was set to play college football at Notre Dame. The Louisiana native committed to the Fighting Irish in March. In fact, the night before National Signing Day, Walker was still a member of the Fight- ing Irish's class. Finally, after months of specula- tion, Walker flipped from Notre Dame to Michigan during his National Sign- ing Day ceremony at Ponchatoula High School. "Just the relationship I had with the coaches," Walker said of his decision to flip. "I feel like me and Coach [Jim] Har- baugh had a phenomenal relationship. They told me some good things too. I'm going to go over there and develop my- self the best I can be." Walker had been rumored to flip from Notre Dame to Michigan as early as September. The four-star had made multiple visits to Ann Arbor, spending time on campus over the summer and returning for U-M's win over Washing- ton early in the 2021 season. On the field, there wasn't much that separated the Wolverines and Fighting Irish. Both had successful 2021 seasons. Michigan won the Big Ten champion- ship and earned a berth in the College Football Playoff, while the Notre Dame had just one loss in the regular season before falling in the Fiesta Bowl. In the end, it was Walker's connec- tion with then-Michigan safeties coach Ron Bellamy that sealed the deal. With Bellamy, the former U-M wideout, now moving over to wide receivers coach, their bond will only grow stronger. "We had the same high school coach, so that really brought us together," Walker said. "It feels like we connect. We have so much in common. We both played wide receiver in high school and have similar stats and similar frames. We connect a lot, and I relate to him a lot." In addition to his bond with Bellamy, Walker has a chance to showcase his versatility at Michigan. Notre Dame saw Walker solely as a wide receiver. The 6-4 weapon with speed to burn, is seen as a potential two-way contributor for the Wolverines. "I like the idea of playing both offense and defense, and they have told me I could be the next Charles Woodson," he told On3's Chad Simmons. "That is something that has my attention." The Louisiana native has high goals for his time in Ann Arbor. He'll need some time in the weight room before he's ready to contribute, but has a plan of how he will approach his Michigan career. "I like to set the ceiling high," he said. "So first of all, I have a schedule of how I want to do things. First, I want to win my job on the field. And I want to be able to compete at the highest level at Michigan, maybe give myself a chance to win a Biletnikoff Award." ❑ Amorion Walker Has High Goals For His Michigan Career In the final outing of his high school career, Walker was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Class 5A state championship game after catching eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2022 Projection Walker will start his career at Mich- igan on the offensive side of the ball, but could move to the defen- sive side down the road. Speedy and tall, he needs to add a lot of mass to his frame. Will likely redshirt in 2022. Recruited more for his measurables than his productivity. consensus

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - March 2022