The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE Walker's position coach at the event was Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas headman Roger Harriott, who said that Walker improved dur- ing practices over the course of the week, and that's a bright sign for his Michigan career. "The guys haven't been in pads for several weeks, and Kareem took some time to get acclimated," Harriott ad- mitted. "Once he did, he's been ex- tremely explosive, and he has great vision. "The most impressive thing about Kareem is his ability to adapt to coaching. He's extremely receptive to constructive criticism, and he has a positive attitude and exceptional work ethic. Obviously, he's very talented." For Walker, the focus has been on his Michigan career, not the conclusion of his high school days, ever since his Dec. 17 decision to don the winged helmet. That includes doing his part to add to his squad's 2016 class. Walker is close friends with the nation's top overall prospect, fellow North Jersey native Rashan Gary, and he's told the five-star defensive tackle to join him at U-M. "That's my brother," Walker said. "He won't avoid my phone calls or my texts. I get more access to him than a lot of people would, and I've let him know Michigan's the right place — it's a no-brainer — because I see him all the time." Walker will have the opportunity to start building his 6-0, 208-pound frame into a Big Ten-ready body during the winter semester in Ann Arbor. Fans will get their first glimpse of him in the spring game. — Tim Sullivan FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Kareem Walker has the vision and strength to make an impact between the tackles, and also a bit of breakaway speed. His physical traits are impressive, and he has the attitude to work toward greatness. He has experienced life as a workhorse running back, and that prepares him to know what it's like to have to carry a heavy load. Being a member of a run- ning back-by-committee approach could seem easy in comparison. Areas Of Improvement: Walker played lighter as a senior than he had in pre- vious years, and that reduced mass seemed to give him some uncertainty and tentativeness carrying the ball. He'll have to rebuild his lower body in order to get that confidence back. He's also battled fumble problems at times in his high school career and will have to focus on ball security if he wants to stay on the field. Michigan Player Comparison: Chris Perry (2000-03) took a couple years to adapt to the college game, but by his final season in a winged helmet was the Doak Walker Award winner as the country's top running back. Walker isn't quite as tall, but has a similar build and will be able to excel after adjusting. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com