Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 23 Days (Ronnie Walker)

Countdown to Kickoff: #23 – Ronnie Walker

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 201 pounds

Hometown: Hopewell, Virginia (Hopewell High School)

Class/Position: Freshman/Running Back

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff rolls on and we are now just over three weeks until the beginning of the 2018 season. The Hoosiers will take on Florida International in Miami and the excitement surrounding the season is palpable. For now, we must soldier on and take this thing day-by-day. Today’s countdown feature is the highest-rated player from the 2018 recruiting class, incoming freshman Ronnie Walker.

We have written at length about the running back position in previous countdown pieces. For those of you who were too busy (Shameless shout out!), here’s a recap of what was written: Indiana desperately needs the running game to improve in 2018 and there is plenty of reason for optimism. Brandon Dawkins and an improved offensive line will help significantly and the running back group is potentially in great shape. Morgan Ellison is in line to be the feature back. Cole Gest, Craig Nelson and Ronnie Walker will battle each other for carries but all will factor in and get work. Guys like Stevie Scott and Ricky Brookins seem likely to carve out niche roles. That’s the big picture recap of the position, let’s zoom in and look at Walker.

A 5’11” prospect from Hopewell, Virginia, Ronnie Walker comes to IU as one of the more highly-touted incoming freshman in recent memory. He was rated as a 4-star prospect by many scouting services and ultimately landed near the top of the 3-star players on 247Sports composite rankings. Matt Weaver of peegs.com wrote the following of the incoming runner, “The three-star prospect (Walker) has the talent and physical skills to make an early impact, and he will also have the advantage of participating with the team in spring practice after graduating from high school in December and enrolling at IU last month…Walker is arguably the most talented running back on the roster for the Hoosiers, and the most talented back at Indiana since Tevin Coleman. Once he gets the offense down it will be very difficult to keep him off the field because he has the ability to be a game changer for the IU offense.” Walker is an all-around back that is quick and shifty without being slight or easy to bring down. He was named an all-state player twice and ran for 1,344 yards (6.2 yards per carry) with 19 touchdowns while leading Hopewell High School to a 2017 state title. Being enrolled for spring practices and getting adjusted to college life well before the 2018 season kicks off is a big advantage. The only negative is that he suffered an injury that limited his play and practice time.

Like nearly all incoming freshmen, Walker will need to improve some as a blocker and he was not asked to catch the ball out of the backfield in high school. That’s not to say he can’t do it or isn’t good at it, we just haven’t seen much of him as a receiver. There’s little doubt that Walker is a gifted running back and a great addition to the IU backfield. I think he probably begins the season behind Ellison and Gest and we continue to hear great things about Craig Nelson. While we don’t know how the carry distribution will work, I am confident this freshman from “the Mother of states” will have a large impact on the IU football program before his time in Bloomington is done.

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!