Maryland "Without A Doubt" Getting Return Visit from Georgia Cornerback
Maryland officially filled their final vacancy along the coaching staff when alum Henry Baker was announced on Friday afternoon. Baker inherits a pair of commitments in the secondary in McDonogh (Md.) defensive back Dante Trader and Archbishop Spalding (Md.) nickel back Jayon Venerable, but the hire gives the staff a chance to ramp up their pursuit for more targets.
Douglas County (Ga.) cornerback Kani Walker added his offer from Maryland last summer after the 6-foot-2, 194-pound prospect was invited to camp. Outside linebackers coach Brawley Evans maintained contact with the Georgia product as he sifted through his double-digit offer sheet. Walker gave an early verbal to Boston College, but backed away earlier this week after his two-month commitment.
Arkansas, Indiana and Virginia are a handful of schools to join the mix since, but Walker told All Terrapins he’s seen increased interest since he backed off his pledge on Monday. “Almost everybody in my top ten, really. Schools are just on me, and then there’s new schools like Virginia and Arkansas and some more schools, so it’s a big wave,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Terps have been “consistent,” according to Walker, in their pursuit as the two sides maintain contact. “Me and coach Brawley and I talk a lot, he’s my guy so even before I committed, we still talked so that connection is always going to be there. I went up there for that offer to go to a camp because they wanted to see how I could do. I was still new to DB so I didn’t think I was that good, so him believing in me that I can do something and be somebody. We didn’t really know each other a lot at the time, so I can really respect them for that.”
As Walker sorts out his official visit schedule, he knows he’ll get to both Louisville and NC State for official visits but added “without a doubt” he’ll make a return visit to College Park for an extended stay.
“That was going to be one of my officials before the coronavirus shut everything down, but that’s definitely going to be one of my visits on my mind because I want to go back up there. Sometimes, you can want somebody but if they don’t want you how they say they do, you can tell. They’re always straight up. I was talking to everybody, but I could tell they truly wanted me and they really made me a priority.” Walker has yet to connect with the Terps’ newest coaching addition, but he added “I will be talking to him soon, though.”
While he has no timeline for a decision, Walker admitted his decision will come down to the gut feeling. “I honestly feel like if I like the feeling, I’m not going to turn my back on it. The moment I feel like that school loves me and I love that school, there’s no doubt in my mind I’ll commit right there.”
As he navigates through the process, Walker is taking advantage of field time in recent weeks to prepare for his senior year. After making the transition from wide receiver to cornerback at the end of his sophomore season, Walker felt he had yet to scratch the surface on the other side of the ball but saw his athleticism and instinct put him in position to excel. “Now, I’m focusing on mostly technique stuff-- knowing when to press, not press, when to take and how to time the risks.”
His ceiling in the secondary motivates him to cap off his senior year on a high note. “A lot of people have been doing this for a long time and haven’t gotten an offer yet, so I’m definitely grateful and blessed with every offer that I get.”
