Breaking: Hickory (NC) Four-Star Rico Walker Commits to Maryland

Maryland football now has a new highest-rated commitment in the 2023 class.

Hickory (NC) four-star athlete Rico Walker has committed to Maryland and becomes the 22nd commitment for head coach Mike Locksley in the 2023 class.

The 6-foot-3, 234-pound prospect announced his decommitment last month from North Carolina and promptly returned to Maryland for their matchup versus Ohio State. After arriving in College Park back on November 18, Walker gave his verbal to the staff later that day and becomes a massive piece in the recruiting class.

With cornerback Gavin Gibson as his host, Walker also took an official visit to Maryland back in June and even after his commitment, the Terps remained in pursuit with wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer leading the way. “It was a lot of fun. They showed me a lot but really I wanted to get a feel of the coaches and just catch a vibe there. They told me what they can do for us as athletes and stuff like that, students as well,” Walker said of his official visit.

Brewer’s extensive ties in North Carolina helped while Locksley chimed in, but the hire of Gary Wortham Jr and his long-standing connections drastically improved the Terps’ chances. Wortham’s connections through the region helped build a deeper connection with Walker in his camp as the northern Virginia native bolsters Maryland’s local recruiting ties.

Now, the four-star prospect becomes a versatile piece in Maryland’s recruiting class. Initially recruited as a tight end, Walker also fits the mold of a defensive end or outside linebacker but will join the class with the athlete tag.

“I like both positions but they were showing me more of the offensive side. I like how they use their tight ends and how they fit in the offense,” he said after watching film with the coaches over the summer. “Their tight end caught a lot of passes last year and then got drafted so seeing that and their development with tight ends was good.”

Walker is rated a four-star prospect and a 90 overall by On3, sitting as the 284th-best prospect nationally and 12th-best in North Carolina.

VIP: four-star update, former ACC safety, upcoming visitors (+)

VIP: Good roster news (+)

VIP: roster note, portal frenzy for Maryland football (+)

WR Rakim Jarrett opts out, declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Four-star forward returning to College Park (+)