As the Class of 2020 nears completion and attention shifts to forging the Class of 2021, Buffaloes head coach Mel Tucker has set his eyes on an in-state defensive end who will soon be a senior at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Arden Walker.
Walker is 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds at the moment, but says his father, Arthur, who played at CU from 1985-89, has been steering him in the direction of getting closer to 265 by the time he'll step foot on a college campus.
Colorado, Iowa Kansas State, Missouri, Washington State and Wisconsin are all currently vying to become the frontrunner in the quest to land him. He said that Wazzu and Colorado were essentially tied for the lead in that regard.
In terms of his recruitment thus far with CU, Walker indicated Mel Tucker has shown personal interest in bringing him into the fold.
“(Colorado) really wants me to be one of the next people up," Walker said. “I talk to coach Tucker a lot. He’s putting the pressure on me, as well."
Walker laughed after mentioning Tucker has been hot on his trail, but it does go to show that the Buffs' head coach views Walker as important. With the Buffaloes landing just two in-state recruits for 2020, Tucker clearly wants to get that number trending upwards in 2021 and beyond.
Looking at his film (which Walker intelligently has broken up into two videos, one strictly showcasing his pass rush skills, and another highlighting him playing against the run), his athleticism and speed pop off the screen.
Putting on some good weight and improving his footwork have been tasks Walker's looked to tackle heading into his senior year.
“Strength-wise, I feel like I still need to get in the weight room and improve my body," Walker said. "That’s what I’ve been working on (during the offseason) especially. In terms of speed and agility, flexibility is another thing, like (being able to) turn a corner. Sometimes when I’m pass rushing, I’ll get there, and when the quarterback steps up it’ll be hard for me to get back to him. Flexibility and strength are really what I’m working on this offseason. Technique-wise, I think I’ve gotten way better.”
Walker said that in addition to Tucker, he talks the most to OLBs coach Brian Michalowski along with DL coach Jimmy Brumbaugh. Michalowski he mentioned first and that is interesting, knowing the former's history of recruiting defensive linemen to play outside backer.
The way Walker put it, to a extent Colorado envisions him doing that, were he to choose the Buffaloes.
“They’re looking at me as kind of a hybrid situation, playing on the edge mostly," he said. "You pass rush and also drop into coverage when you need to. I’m cool with that. Next year (at Cherry Creek), my coach might move me to play outside linebacker a bit. We have a certain position that pretty much moves all over the field.”
Watching his film, Walker certainly rotates a good bit in how he lines up. He anticipates taking strides in the pass coverage department as a senior.
“I’ll get it down," Walker said. "I know a couple coverages but it’s more about playing it and actually doing it. I think I’m fast enough for it, I’m able to move well."
No visits to CU or elsewhere are slated at the moment, but Walker did mention a desire to get up to Pullman and Madison to attend WSU and Wisconsin's respective Junior Day events.Education and academics were topics Walker brought up often.
He mentioned biology and business as two fields he's potentially interested in majoring in when he gets to college. Walker helped Cherry Creek to a Class 5A state title this season, as the Bruins went a perfect 14-0 on the year.
Staying sharp in the classroom and on the football field are Walker's top priorities as he wraps up his junior year of high school and prepares to become a senior.
“Academically, I’m doing well in school and I want to continue that," he said. "In terms of football, I want to continue to polish my game — that’s the biggest thing for me. I got a couple things to work on this offseason coming up, so that’ll be my test. I just want to help my team and get another (championship). We definitely have the talent.”
