Kareem Walker, the country's top-ranked running back in the 2016 class and an Ohio State commit since Jan. 12, has decided to re-open his recruitment.
I've decided to decommit pic.twitter.com/T6HZ77p4Bg
— AlightyReem (@_KareemWalker) November 4, 2015
Walker's recruitment was a crapshoot from the start, and the Buckeyes' coaching staff was well aware that holding on to the talented tailback was going to be a challenge. After a summer that included visits to Rutgers, Alabama, Arizona State and Auburn among others, the rumors of a potential decommitment began to swirl. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back, who missed an opportunity to participate in Nike's The Opening because he missed a flight, went into bunker mode and avoided the spotlight while the glare of multiple rumors shone ever so brightly on him.
In August, after a second summer trip to Ohio State, it seemed that things with Walker would quiet down and find a scarlet and gray resolution.
"The trip was perfect, really amazing and showed me a lot. They're telling me that I've got a chance to be the next (Ezekiel Elliott)," Walker told Eleven Warriors in August. "(Urban) Meyer told me 'You can't decommit, we need you next year' and that I can contribute a lot as a freshman, especially if I get there in January."
"Get there in January" meant early enrollment. Walker had talked about his desire to enroll in the winter multiple times, but the process has not been finalized – at least not publicly – and perhaps the lack of urgency to cement his plans should've been a harbinger of things to come.
In early October, the rumor mill began again and Walker's name was closely associated with a number of schools thought to be in line for a visit, including the University of Michigan, where he made an official visit on Oct. 10. That visit, coupled with planned trips to Alabama, Ole Miss and potentially Arizona State, put Ohio State on high alert and the Buckeyes began preparing for life after Walker.
Running back Antonio Williams, a Wisconsin commitment, set an official visit to Ohio State for Oct. 17 and it became clearer that Walker's place in the top-ranked 2016 recruiting class wasn't set in stone. Today, Walker has made the call and is out of the class in a move that I believe will be in the best interest of both sides moving forward.
Walker is the second big name decommitment from the Ohio State 2016 class. Defensive end Terrell Hall, a four-star prospect from Maryland, re-opened his recruitment in August.
With Walker's departure, the Buckeyes have fallen out of the top spot and now trail LSU in the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
