Miami Hurricanes land four-star offensive tackle from Florida Gators
Issiah Walker, the former four-star offensive tackle from Miami Norland, announced Saturday he plans to enroll at the University of Miami -- four months after he enrolled at the University of Florida.
Walker chose Miami over FSU, Mississippi and other suitors just five days after it was learned that he had entered the transfer portal.
“I’m staying home,” Walker announced on Twitter, with a photo of him in a UM uniform superimposed on a backdrop with the words “Taking Back the State of Miami.”
UM opted to sign Walker with its one remaining scholarship instead of taking Houston Cougars grad transfer offensive tackle Jarrid Williams (who has been considering Miami), Hollywood Chaminade Madonna defensive tackle Willie Moise or pursuing Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who entered the transfer portal on Friday.
Some had linked Tagovailoa to UM because his brother, Tua, was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. But the Hurricanes love freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, according to a source very close to UM. The Birmingham News reported Taulia Tagovailoa might end up at FIU.
Walker, who is 6-4 and 305 pounds, hasn’t explained why he left UF months after enrolling, but Rivals.com cited family reasons.
Walker, who visited UM multiple times during the 2020 recruiting cycle, immediately began following several UM football officials on Twitter last week and privately expressed interest in the Canes.
UM decided to move ahead with Walker in the past couple of days.
Walker must sit out this season (unless he’s granted a waiver) but has four years of eligibility. He gives UM a potential longterm option at either tackle spot, which are both need positions.
UM, FSU and Auburn were among the schools that Walker considered before committing to UF. He was rated Rivals’ No. 31 offensive tackle and 247 Sports’ No. 15 offensive tackle in the 2020 class.
Before picking UF, Walker - who was at one time committed to South Carolina - told The Miami Herald last June that UM appealed to him because “it’s down the street, so if my family wants to go see me play it’s right down the street instead of having to drive all the way to South Carolina or something like that. So that’s a very big factor for me.”
UM, for a time, had been saving its final scholarship for Willie Moise, but Moise still needs the grades to qualify and the Hurricanes decided moving on Walker was more sensible than waiting on Moise or potentially taking Williams for only one year.
Walker becomes the fourth prominent transfer to join the Hurricanes’ program this offseason, joining quarterback D’Eriq King, defensive end Quincy Roche and kicker Jose Borregales.
This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 2:31 PM.
