4-star DT Ricky Walker Commits to Virginia Tech

I am officially committed to VIRGINIA TECH ! #Hokies— Ricky Lake ! (@RickGoGetEmWalk) October 6, 2013

Ricky Walker made a verbal pledge to the Hokies today during his official visit to Virginia Tech. Walker is a 6-2, 275 pound defensive tackle from Bethel High in Hampton, Virginia (where James Gayle played his high school ball), and both Rivals.com and 247Sports rank him a 4-star prospect. In 10 games last season he had 70 tackles, 11 sacks, and earned first-team all-Peninsula District and all-Eastern Region as a two-way player (DT and guard).

While watching Walker's highlights on YouTube and Hudl, the first thing that jumped out at me is his versatility. The Bethel coaching staff utilized Walker as a 1-technique nose tackle in the middle of a true 50 front (a nose, two 3-technique defensive tackles, and two wide defensive ends). In a four man front, they utilized Walker as both a 1-technique and 3-technique defensive tackle, and on passing downs they moved him out to end. He was productive at all three positions, and dominant as a nose tackle. He also had several really nasty pancake blocks as a guard. His coaches even considered giving him playing time at fullback. In high school football, with very limited practice time, it takes a very high football IQ to be productive at multiple positions, especially on the defensive line.

As I noted above, Walker was a very productive run defender at all three defensive tackle alignments. On film, he has a very quick first step into his assigned gap, and he consistently has low pad level. He gets underneath the pads of the centers and guards, stands them up, and then slides off the block. His preferred gap technique is a rip move, where he lowers his shoulder closest to the blocker and rips his arm through like a Mike Tyson's Punch-Out uppercut. His pad level and ability to cross the blocker's face to secure his gap makes him an excellent fit in Bud Foster's scheme. He has solid closing speed and demonstrates the ability to recover if he loses his gap fit.

In pass rushing situations, the Bethel staff used Walker as both a 3-technique and a defensive end. He isn't a dynamic speed rusher, but he has outstanding technique with multiple pass rush moves. At end, his strongest move is a two-step bull rush to get a blocker's momentum moving backwards, and then a hard inside rip technique. His secondary move starts off with the same initial bull rush, and then a quick swim move to the inside and outside shoulder. Finally, he gets sacks using a classic push-pull technique off the bull rush along with a straight bull rush. Even though he doesn't have blistering speed, each technique is incredibly sharp for a high school player.

I highly recommend watching the video. Even if you don't know a thing about the nuance of defensive line play, even a football neophyte would enjoy several of Walker's bone jarring hits and pancake blocks. His coaches lean heavily on him to impact the game in numerous different ways, and his talent and football IQ are smart enough to ensure production at Virginia Tech.

Welcome to HokieNation Ricky!