Former Spartans All-American Named Top NFL Breakout Candidate in 2024
Kenneth Walker III had one season with the Michigan State Spartans.
His impact was indelible. Walker was the school's first-ever recipient of the Doak Walker Award, honoring the nation's top running back. Walker also received the first Walter Camp Award in Spartans history as the best player in college football.
With the Seattle Seahawks, Walker has established himself as one of the better running backs in the NFL. Analyst Peter Schrager, a host of NFL Network's "Good Morning Football," thinks Walker can take a step into the top tier of NFL running backs. Schrager named Walker the No. 2 player in his list of Top 10 breakout players for 2024.
"I think Kenneth Walker entering his third year is about to have a huge breakout season," Schrager told his co-hosts. "We're talking workload, give me the rock, bell cow-type year in Seattle. Okay, Walker, this is a dude who has had over 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons. So what is a breakout if he has already done that? No, I'm talking like top of the top of the top of the list on all these running backs. I go back to 2021, Mike McDonald was a defensive coordinator at some school called Michigan and the running back for Michigan State that day was Kenneth Walker.
"Kenneth Walker went for 195 [yards] and five touchdowns. Does he know who the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks is right now? Mike McDonald. He was the DC of Michigan that day and he saw it up close and personal what this guy can do. If he can stay healthy ... he is a physical freak, he is a specimen, and he is going to be the workload in this Seattle offense."
Walker's performance against Michigan on that gloomy day in Spartan Stadium will forever live in the lore of the storied in-state rivalry. Walker would finish that season with 1,636 rushing yards, which was good for fourth on the all-time single season list.
There is no doubt about Walker's ability as a running back. He combines just about every tool and trait any good running back would possess. Walker will look to a big Year 3 to continue to live up to the hype he started in the Green and White.
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MICHAEL FRANCE