Virginia is the latest Power Five program to benefit from the football transfer portal. And at the expense of a fellow Power Five for good measure.
In early February, Indiana’s Ronnie Walker entered his name into the NCAA transfer database. Two months later, Virginia confirmed that the running back has signed a grant-in-aid document and been added to by head coach Bronco Mendenhall its football roster. According to the program, Walker will enroll in classes at UVA this summer.
A three-star 2018 signee, Walker was rated as the No. 9 player regardless of position in the state of Virginia. He was also the No. 19 running back in the country. Walker was the highest-rated signee in the Hoosiers’ class that year on either side of the ball.
In 22 career games, Walker ran for 221 yards and two touchdowns on 59 carries. He also caught a dozen passes for another 112 yards and a touchdown. All 12 of his receptions came in 2019. He ran for a career-high 141 yards in 2018.
Barring something out of the ordinary, Walker will have to sit out the 2020 season. That would leave him with two seasons of eligibility with the Cavaliers starting in 2021.
The addition of Walker could also help the Virginia football team on another front. From 247Sports.com:
Henderson committed to OSU late last month. The Buckeyes currently hold the No. 1 2021 recruiting class in the country.