Rivals100 offensive tackle on rumors of PSU leading: "That's not true"

Tough choices are on the horizon for Rivals100 offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. The Waldorf (Md.) North Point star has a top six of Maryland, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Rutgers but he is gearing up for an important stretch in his recruitment.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

"Everybody is saying that I'll end up at Penn State," Walker said. "I understand why they are saying that because I've been visiting there a lot. They say I've been to Penn State more than all my other schools. Penn State is one of my favorites but that's not true. I've been to Maryland more times than I can count and I've been to Ohio State about the same number of times as Penn State.

"I just like the environment at Penn State when I go there," he said. "It's just really chill and I have a good relationship with the staff. It's a nice place to be. I think I'm going to the Lasch Basch on July15th.

"I don't even know how many times I've been to Maryland," said Walker. "I went there last week, the week before that, and a bunch of other times before that. I used to play against (Maryland commit) Jaelyn Duncan but now he transferred up to St. Frances. Staying close to home and picking Maryland are things I'm definitely thinking about. I'd like to take my visits and enjoy the process. I'm definitely thinking about them though. I really like the new facility that they're building. That has a big impact on me. Last time I went there they had a camp and a BBQ. We got to walk in the new facility even though it's not done yet. You can see what it will become. You can see how big it is and what they are trying to do with it. That was really eye-opening. Other than that, I've been there so many times that I know everybody so we're just hanging out with everybody when I'm there.

"Everything is great with Ohio State," he said. "I've talked with coach Stud and coach Johnson at least every other day. I talk to coach Meyer on the phone a lot. I haven't been able to get out there as many times as I want because it's farther away than the rest of the schools. We have good conversations though. They send me a lot of videos and I enjoy watching those. We have a really good relationship.

"My friend Nathan Proctor just went down there and I know DeJuan Ellis is committed there," Walker said. "The funny thing is that we all played on the same youth team. It's pretty cool that they're all ending up in the same spot. They've been texting me saying that I need to go down there. Last week I stopped by the camp at Howard to see the Virginia Tech coaches there.

"I got my offer from Rutgers when I was at an Ohio State camp last summer," he said. "Ever since then the offensive line coach and me have been really close. I probably have one of my best relationships with him. I've been up there three or four times. I like the people and the environment.

"I haven't heard much about North Carolina's recruiting lately," said Walker. "I know they got a lot of guys at the Freak Show. I was supposed to go to that but something came up that I had to do. I talk to coach Papuchis and coach Kap a lot. I haven't been able to get down there as much as I really want to because of my schedule.

"I'm going to the Lasch Bash at Penn State on July 15th," he said. "I'm trying to go to Virginia Tech on July 22nd. I wanted to get back to Ohio State but I'm not sure about the date. I'd also like to get to Rutgers in the future.

"I haven't thought too much about my official visits yet," Walker said. "I'll probably take my five visits to five of my top six schools. I wouldn't take one to Maryland because they are so close and I can go there any time."

RIVALS' REACTION

Despite Walker trying to throw everybody off his scent, Penn State still seems like his leader but a commitment may not be as close as some have predicted. Truthfully, Walker probably doesn't know enough about his other top contenders to honestly compare them to Penn State. If he heads into this season uncommitted, wins and losses could have a lot to do with where he eventually ends up. It doesn't sound like Walker will be able to get all the visits in that he wants to prior to the season so it will be interesting to watch how his official visit schedule plays out.