Michigan State won’t have running back Kenneth Walker III in the lineup for their Peach Bowl matchup against Pittsburgh on December 30.
Walker announced that he will be skipping the bowl game as he turns his attention toward preparing for the NFL draft. He joins Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller as highly regarded running backs to take the draft plunge this week.
Walker transferred from Wake Forest before the 2021 season and ran 264 times for 1,646 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Spartans. His season included a five-touchdown game in a win over Michigan and Walker finished sixth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
That production should have him in the running to be the first running back off the board next year, although there’s a lot of work to be done before teams have their boards set for the 2022 draft.