Boosting his stock
North Point offensive lineman Walker invited to The Opening
Rasheed Walker got the opportunity to boost his stock on the national stage.
The North Point High School rising senior was one of only 166 high school blue-chip national prospects invited by Student Sports to participate at The Opening finals football camp at Nike headquarters in Oregon, the marquee competition in the country for future college players.
The premier football camp was four days of dynamic training, coaching and competition for the country’s most elite high school players. Every position and every aspect of the game will be highlighted over the course of the three-day program. The Opening is one of the most high profile high school football events in the country.
The camp lasted June 30 to June 3.
Walker, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound Eagles offensive tackle who will play his fourth year on varsity under head coach Tom Petre this fall, was invited to the national event after performing well at the regional event at Centreville High School back in April.
“It was pretty cool to compete against the best linemen in the country,” Walker said. “We had the state of the art Nike gear and the camp had current and former NFL and college players work with us. Getting training and tips from pros was a great experience.”
Walker, a four-star recruit, is ranked as the No. 6 player in Maryland, the No. 11 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 112 overall prospect for the Class of 2018, according to 247sports.
Walker is being highly recruited from numerous NCAA Division I schools such as Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Florida and Alabama.
“Being able to showcase my skills at a big event of this caliber not only helped me get a lot
from
of exposure, but opened the eyes of many colleges that were there evaluating me,” said Walker, who is currently uncommitted.
On what he learned at the annual event, Walker said: “As an offensive lineman, it is not how big or fast you are but it is all about technique. You have to be patient and focused. We did a lot of one-on-one lineman drills, so I learned a great deal that I can add to my overall skills for the high school season and for the college level.”
As a for a commitment date, Walker isn’t setting a deadline for himself.
“It is still early,” he said. “It is going to be one of those things where I wake up in the morning and know. I’m just being patient and see what fits. I’m just continuing to work on my craft by watching film, staying in the weight room and work on my skills to become a better lineman.”
Walker didn’t make the final five in the Linemen Challenge competition during the event, but he was satisfied with his performance against some of the nation’s best defensive linemen.
For his senior year, Walker wants to try to lead North Point, which finished 9-2 overall last season, to a state championship and get ready for the next level..
“We will have over 30 seniors on the team this season,” Walker said. “Most of us have been on varsity together for three or four years, so we already have great chemistry. This is our last year so we want to go out with a bang.”
Petre said that Walker’s work ethic in the weight room and growth over the last three years has helped boost his stock from numerous recruits.
“Rasheed is a very humble and hard-working kid and it was a great opportunity for him to be a part of such a prestigious event and compete the best players in the country,” Petre said. “He is very quiet, but he gets it done in the weight room and never leaves the school. He is always trying to get better. He helps the younger kids and is one of the leaders. He is just a complete program kid.” college