Michigan WR Amorion Walker reflects on decision to return via transfer portal
ANN ARBOR – Michigan Wolverines junior wide receiver Amorion Walker is experiencing a bit of a rebirth in his third collegiate season. The wideout-turned-cornerback had a position switch that did not go as planned, a trip to the transfer portal and a commitment to Ole Miss last winter.
But something kept drawing Walker’s attention and desires back to the place he spent his first two seasons. An opportunity to get back to playing the position he wanted and need for depth in Ann Arbor made a reunion after a few short months the way to go.
“I wouldn’t say it was a specific moment,” Walker told the media on Thursday on why he decided to come back. “Even when I left, it was constant check-in with those guys. And they always uplifted me and made sure I was good and just trying to put myself in the best position. Those were the guys I wanted to be around.”
Walker is competing for playing time in Michigan’s fall camp with a wide-open array of snaps available at wide receiver. The clock starts over, to a certain extent, but he has used some of the tools he used playing cornerback as he hones his craft.
“[Playing corner] was substantial to my game,” Walker said. “Now I’m able to get that defensive mindset. I know what position guys don’t want to be in and get uncomfortable. I feel like it helped me as a better receiver and to be able to look at the game from two lenses, so I feel like it helped me out a lot.”
Walker has never been considered a particularly polished prospect, and Michigan threw a lot at him during his first two seasons. A chance to get back in the wide receiver room has been a lift.
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“Well the first time, it was my freshman year, I was involved pretty much kind of in the system, just slowly learning as a guy coming in,” Walker said. “This past year, when I moved to defense, I got hurt in fall camp and kind of took me out for two, three months and slowly transitioned back into the season.
“Last year was kind of a wash for me. I’m just very excited to get into year three. Get the past behind me and buckle up. Just confidence in myself and knowing the work I put in. You just gotta have confidence in yourself. Know what you can do. And then the rest of that. Can’t really think about it too much.”
In order to get on the field, wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy preaches a “no block, no rock” mentality. Wideouts have to be able to catch the ball and move the chains, but if they are not willing to do the dirty work to spring big runs for teammates, they will not see the field.
Walker has taken that to heart as part of the Michigan mentality.
“We all can block,” Walker proclaimed, “We all work on that a lot. We come in, we got the pre-practice drills. He’s already got the bags up for us to work on before practice. This part of my game is, as a receiver, no block, no rock. It’s something you gotta be able to do. And I want to take a lot of pride in this year. Just being able to be a guy to go out there. If they need me to get the block, I want to be able to get the block for them.”
