Four-star running back Ronnie Walker announced his commitment to IU on Monday afternoon and is currently the only running back commit the Hoosiers have in their 2018 recruiting class.
Walker, from Hopewell High School in Hopewell, Virginia, is ranked as the 13th-best running back in the country from the class of 2018, according to 247Sports composite rankings. IU, Virginia and Michigan State made the list of Walker’s top three schools, but he ultimately decided to choose IU and said he plans to enroll early, before the fall of 2018.
IU now has 15 recruits for its 2018 class, and Walker is the highest rated among them. In the first game of his senior season for Hopewell High, Walker ran for 166 yards and recorded two touchdowns.
He will join a deep running back group for IU that currently includes nine different players, none of whom are currently seniors. Junior Mike Majette figures to lead the 2017 Hoosier rushing attack but freshmen Cole Gest and Morgan Ellison could be the future at the position.
Bloomington native Kristian Pechac, a three-star running back in the class of 2018, was previously committed to IU, but reopened his recruitment in June. Pechac's father, Mike, is IU's director of player development.
With Walker now in the fold, the running back group has another solid prospect joining the ranks next season as IU looks to continue the “Running Back U” nickname it earned in recent years. The Hoosiers sent running backs Tevin Coleman, Jordan Howard and Devine Redding to the NFL in the last three years.
Adding the four-star prospect to the fold gives IU Coach Tom Allen some credibility as he works to build a reputation as a strong recruiter. Walker, who is listed as the 319th-best overall prospect in the country on 247Sports, is the highest-rated recruit for the Hoosiers since wide receiver Dominique Booth in 2014. Booth was the 245th-ranked prospect in his class, but ultimately transferred from IU last year after dealing with medical issues.
Jake Thomer
