Penn State football recruiting commit breakdown: OL Rasheed Walker
By Marty Leap
The Penn State Nittany Lions finished off their 2018 recruiting class in a big way on Wednesday afternoon
Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class now has 23 signees. On Wednesday, top-100 offensive lineman Rasheed Walker committed to and signed with the Nittany Lions. Walker chose the Nittany Lions over their arch nemesis Ohio State Buckeyes.
For a long time Rasheed Walker was viewed as a Penn State lean. However, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes made James Franklin and his staff have to work their backsides off to officially land Walker in this class.
After his official visit to Ohio State in mid-January, many people believed the Buckeyes would become the team to beat for Walker. However, much to the credit of James Franklin and his staff, the Nittany Lions survived this storm and sealed up Walker with Franklin’s in home visit. This recruitment is the latest example of James Franklin being one of the best recruiters in the FBS.
Rasheed Walker is a native of Waldorf, Maryland, and checks in at 6’6″, 300 pounds. He played in the US Army All-American Game last month, and after a strong showing that week he received a ratings boost from recruiting services.
While Rasheed Walker will need a redshirt year upon arriving on campus, he will have the opportunity to make an impact early on in his career at Penn State. Especially if Ryan Bates goes pro following the 2018 season.
The combination of length and athleticism that Walker brings to the tackle position is a rarity. His length is arguably his best trait. Walker has strong technique and good footwork in pass protection which is something that is far from the norm for high school offensive tackles.
When it comes to run blocking Walker is a force. He will engage defenders, continue to drive his legs, and push them back. While he could afford to get a little lower and add some bend to his knees, this is something he and Matt Limegrover can easily fix.
Once he gets into Dwight Galt’s strength and conditioning program adding size and strength to his frame, he can become an absolutely dominant offensive tackle in the Big Ten.
Next: McSorley film review - Northwestern
Rasheed Walker gives Penn State’s elite 2018 recruiting class 23 signees. Walker is one of six top-100 players in Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class. When things are all said and done with the 2018 recruiting cycle, this will be a top-5 class and one of the best in Penn State history.
You can watch his film here. Welcome to Happy Valley, Rasheed!