Report: Auburn TE Expected to Enter Transfer Portal

Tight end Rico Walker is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after just one season with the Auburn Tigers.

Nov 30, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze on the sideline during the second quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers are expected to have yet another player enter the transfer portal.

While it is not official, tight end Rico Walker is expected to enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining after just one season with the Tigers, according to 247 Sports' Christian Clemente.

Walker was in the class of 2023 and also started his career at Maryland after being a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He also was a four-star transfer after he left Maryland. However, both stints with the Tigers and Terrapins, both of which run two-tight end sets, left a lot to be desired.

He only played in four games for the Tigers in which he did not record a single catch. Back in 2023, during his time with the Terrapins, he played in eight games and made four catches for 27 yards. 

Walker might be able to flourish in a Group of Five team that doesn’t use multiple tight ends with Walker making himself the primary target for whatever team takes a chance on him.

Other teams that could go after him from when he transferred the first time were North Carolina and Kentucky. The Tar Heels will be coached by legendary coach Bill Belichick, who has a tendency to use his tight ends consistently within his offense.

Despite Walker departing from the program, the Tigers still have potential in the room after acquiring Maryland tight end Preston Howard in the winter transfer window. Alongside Howard, Auburn is also bringing back tight end Brandon Frazier for his sixth collegiate season.