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I committed to OU SOONER NATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— SOONER NATION!!!!!!! (@_Louisanimal) January 13, 2013
According to his Twitter account (see above), 2013 defensive tackle Charles Walker (Garland, TX) has committed to the University of Oklahoma. Heading into the weekend, many had speculated that a commitment from Walker was almost inevitable as he had all but admitted as much in interviews leading up to his visit.
As we told you in our write-up previewing this weekend's visitors, Walker is a guy who has flown under the radar for the most part after injuries forced him to miss the better part of both his sophomore and junior seasons. Some will very likely look at Walker's two star ranking on Rivals and wonder what the OU coaches could possibly be thinking. However, those people have apparently not seen Walker's senior film.
Once the Oklahoma coaches had a chance to do so an offer followed shortly thereafter. At the time, Walker talked about possibly committing on the spot but resisted the temptation. Now about a month later and having seen the campus, it would appear Walker has seen enough to make up his mind.
it seems like almost yesterday when Oklahoma fans were despondent when it came to talk of the defensive tackle position in this 2013 recruiting class. It wasn't that long ago that the Sooners held zero commitments from a defensive tackle and missed out on OU legacy Justin Manning. Now, following Walker's commitment, they sit with a full defensive tackle class and one they desperately needed after the loss of three seniors at the position.
When healthy, Walker has proved to be a truly disruptive force on the inside. He looks to have that rare ability to be both effective in stopping the run while also presenting a significant pass rush threat. He's a big guy at 6'4" 280 pounds, but moves very well for his size.
Given his injury history, health will be a huge factor in whether or not he ever develops into the player he looks to be capable of on film. As things stand today however, this could be a massive steal for an Oklahoma team that could certainly use a break or two when it comes to this 2013 recruiting cycle.
Welcome to Sooner Nation, Charles!