Amorion Walker flips from Notre Dame to Michigan
THE SITUATION
One of the biggest flips in the making over the span of the 2022 recruiting cycle has finally arrived out of Ponchatoula, La.
Amorion Walker, a coveted three-star athlete and longtime Notre Dame commitment, flipped his commitment and signed with Michigan on National Signing Day. LSU and Alabama also were in the mix to try and turn Walker away from the Irish, but credit Wolverines safety coach Ron Bellamy, a Louisiana native who played for Walker’s high school football coach Hank Tierney at Archbishop Shaw, for the late fireworks.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Walker is the nation’s No. 39-ranked athlete. He projects to play receiver for Michigan.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
On recruiter Ron Bellamy: "He's like family to me. We have the same head coach (Tierney) and he's from down here, so we've connected a lot. When I look at another person, we compare pretty well -- even with things like high school stats, our stature and all that compares. He's a good dude and he treats me like family. Over the last few months we've talked a lot and about things beyond football as well."
On Michigan's push: "My relationship with most of the staff at Michigan is a lot like my relationship with Coach Bellamy. They're wholesome people, good people and great on the football end."
How the Wolverines edged out Notre Dame: "It came down to where I was most comfortable and I think people should respect that. This will be the greatest decision for me and where I feel most comfortable -- with Coach Bellamy and the rest of the Michigan staff."
On the vision for Walker at Michigan: "They see me coming in on the receiver side. They have a void at receiver with a lot of slot guys stacked up and wanted a taller, faster downfield receiver and I expected the same. My best fit is at receiver and I have the option to go to defense if things go a different way."
RIVALS REACTION
Walker has been Ponchatoula’s go-to wideout over the past three seasons piling up 54 catches for 982, good for an 18 yards-per-reception average. In that three-year stretch, Walker found the end zone 11 times.
In the summer leading into his senior season, Walker clocked a 4.4-second 40 time in Tuscaloosa. The speed opened the door for him to see increased action in Ponchatoula’s defensive backfield, where he’s flashed the ability to cover step-for-step with speedy receivers downfield in addition to his ability to stretch field on offense.
Walker is a raw playmaker with speed and length. He has room to tack on weight and sharpen up other aspects of his game, but in the next few years could be a player to emerge as a big-play threat on either offense or defense.