William “P.J.” Walker figures to be a solid mid-major recruiting talent out of the state of California. The Perris (Calif.) Citrus Hill tailback is someone who could really surprise once he hits the college level. Walker committed to the San Diego State Aztecs on April 20.
P.J. Walker scouting report: Underrated tailback a bruiser
The Southern California running back is starting to attract mid-major attention.
Walker stands at 5’11 and weighs approximately 195 pounds. Rated a three-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite, Walker is the 34th-best running back and the 54th-best California prospect according to 247Sports. Walker is singled out for his outstanding ability to break tackles and also has excellent power and build. Rivals considers Walker a two-star prospect while Scout also ranks him as a two-star and the No. 129 running back in the class. ESPN rates him as a three-star and the No. 130 player as his position.
Walker also has received offers from schools like Boise State and UNLV. You can check out Walker’s highlights on his Hudl reel.
Derrell Warren, West Coast Recruiting Analyst (@yssd): Walker is a short stout runner with a thick lower half. He should be able to easily add lean mass to his upper body and eventually top out at 210 pounds or more.
On tape, Walker routinely wins footraces versus open-field pursuers. That said, he has pretty good speed, but doesn’t appear to be a burner. He doesn’t play an elite level of competition. But he is an aggressive downhill runner who gets vertical in a hurry.
Walker is a short, stout back who runs with a nice pad level and carries excellent balance. Has really good lower-body and core strength which allows his to break tackles and generate yards after contact. He rarely goes down on first contact. May not break off the same long runs as the next level that he does on tape but will likely be able to rip off his fair share of 10-15 yard gains.
Walker is a back with physicality to his game but not in the sense of blowing up defenders in the hole, but more so able to run through tackles.
Walker isn’t the most elusive back and is a bit straight lined. Although he’ll press the hole and bounce his runs outside, he’s more of the type of back who will keep things play-side and won’t doesn’t look for the cut back lane. Needs a bit of space in order to operate. He has limited lateral agility.
