Three things to like about Rico Walker committing to Auburn

Here are three things to like about his commitment to the Tigers.

Author:
Lance Dawe
Publish date:
Jan 8, 2024 1:18 PM EST

In this story:

Auburn football has landed a transfer tight end.

Rico Walker, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound freshman tight end at Maryland, has transferred to the Tigers, per Jeffrey Lee of On3.

Walker appeared in eight games for the Terrapins in 2023, recording four receptions for 28 yards and no touchdowns. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He chose Auburn over South Florida and Pittsburgh.

He was a four-star athlete coming out of high school, rated as the No. 10 athlete and the No. 234 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

Here are three things to like about his commitment to the Tigers.

Adding depth to the tight end position

The Tigers lost three senior tight ends to graduation or the transfer portal this offseason. Auburn was looking at a room with only Rivaldo Fairweather and Micah Riley-Ducker for 2024.

Now that Walker is here, it gives the Tigers a bit of room to work with.

Solid blocking ability

Walker finished 2023 with a PFF grade of 46.4. Not a great grade, but he only played 138 snaps, most of which came earlier in the season during the non-conference slate.

Despite a bad grade overall, he did finish with a pass blocking grade of 77.3. Walker commented on this when talking with On3.

“(Auburn) sees me more as Rivaldo (Fairweather), but they see that I can block a lot,” Walker told On3. “So, it’s like, ‘OK, we don’t have to take you out of the game when we need to block.’

A 2025 breakout candidate?

Rivaldo Fairweather just broke Auburn's single-season record for most receptions by a tight end and will be gone in 2025. The Tigers don't have a tight end committed in their 2025 class and would be relying on MRD and Walker at that point.

Unless Auburn goes after another player like Fairweather in the portal next offseason, Walker could be in line to start. He's a former four-star prospect and a top-10 athlete in the 20243 class.

He's a potential breakout candidate in 2025.