Former OU RB Tawee Walker commits to Wisconsin
The strong running back who became the Sooners best back for a period of the season has committed to Wisconsin. Walker, who was a walk-on for the Sooners, entered the transfer portal at the end of November.
Tawee Walker is officially no longer with the Sooners.
The strong running back who became the Sooners best back for a period of the season has committed to Wisconsin. Walker, who was a walk-on for the Sooners, entered the transfer portal at the end of November.
Despite his gateway admission, Walker dressed up and played for Oklahoma in its duel with Arizona in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday night. His former teammate Gavin Sawchuk claimed Walker wants to finish what he started in respect to why Walker would participate in the bowl game.
Walker ran the ball seven times for 17 yards and caught two catches for 12 yards in the Bowl game.
“First and foremost, I want to thank the whole coaching staff at the University of Oklahoma,” Walker posted on social media to reveal his portal decision. “I want to thank all the fans, and everyone who supported me through my journey. I have cherished my time here, and will always love the University. With that being said, I will be registering my name in the 2024 NCAA Transfer Portal. I believe that is the finest decision for myself and my family. Once again thank you for everyone who was apart of the adventure, and I have nothing but love for Oklahoma.”
The junior running back appeared as a walk-on for the Sooners this season and was the anchor for the Sooners running back room until Gavin Sawchuk got healthy in the second half of the season.
During the regular season, Walker, a 5-foot-9, 215-pound back, carried the ball 95 times for 496 yards and seven touchdowns without ever fumbling. Despite being a walk-on he became a fan favorite for his ability to consistently slide forward on his runs and run through opposition defenses. He will enter the portal as a true senior.
His greatest game came in the Sooners’ loss to Kansas, where he ran 23 times for 146 yards and one touchdown before having to sit out a majority of the final quarter with an ankle injury. He recorded a carry in every game but two this season, one being against Tulsa and the other against UCF, where he was facing disciplinary charges for an occurrence during practice.
Since his impressive performance against Kansas, the Sooners utilized Walker sparingly for the rest of the season. He totaled just 19 carries, 111 yards and two scores over the final four games.
In the end, Walker proved he could be a scholarship back for a Power 5 program. And he will join Wisconsin as OU figures its offense out with different backs next season. The Sooners’ offensive room looks different, with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby going on to a head coaching post at Mississippi State and Venables’ decision to promote Seth Littrell to offensive coordinator/play-caller and tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley to co-offensive coordinator.
As of today, Oklahoma’s running back room consists of Gavin Sawchuk, Jovantae Barnes, Emeka Megwa, Samuel Franklin, Kalib Hicks and Chapman McKown. Oklahoma will also bring in the nation’s highest rated running back in Taylor Tatum, and in-state back Xavier Robinson in the upcoming recruiting cycle.
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