Miami football not expecting answer on Issiah Walker until September 11
Freshman offensive lineman Issiah Walker who transferred to the Miami football program after one semester at Florida is still waiting to hear if he will be granted a waiver by the NCAA to play in 2020.
Head coach Manny Diaz provided an update that waiting on the potential of a waiver from the NCAA does not affect freshman offensive tackle, Issiah Walker practicing as the Miami football team began training camp on Friday. Walker joined the Miami football program this spring as a transfer after one semester at Florida.
Walker was one of many local players choosing to join Miami and stay home during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Miami has parlayed players’ decisions to remain in South Florida to the eighth-ranked recruiting class for 2020p. As a transfer Walker is awaiting the NCAA’s decision if he can play in 2020.
The Miami football program has sent paperwork to the NCAA to attempt to secure eligibility for the 2020 season for Walker following his one semester in Gainesville. Walker never played for the Gators after being an early enrollee in the Class of 2021. Walker played at Miami Norland High School.
The Hurricanes have put in the paperwork to try to get the freshman offensive lineman eligible for the upcoming season, but they’re still waiting to hear from the NCAA. Walker signed with Florida in the Class of 2020 and decided to transfer back home after the COVID-19 pandemic led to his decision to leave Gainesville in March.
Walker is part of a Hurricanes offensive line that has upgraded the talent currently on the roster after being one of the worst units upfront offensively in 2019. Miami has added graduate transfer, OT Jarrid Williams, from Houston and signed four-star freshman OT Jalen Rivers during the 2020 season.
"“With Issiah, the waiver doesn’t really affect anything…You don’t have to have the answer to that until Sept. 11, so all the paperwork and all that we’re going through right now.”"
As Diaz stated above, the Hurricanes have to just wait and see how the potential waiver for Walker will play out this season. If Walker is not granted the waiver the former four-star signee will have four seasons of eligibility beginning in 2021. Walker and Rivers project to be the bookend tackles for Miami in the future.
Next. Addition of OT Isaiah Walker made sense over other options. dark
Williams began practice on Friday at right tackle with redshirt sophomore John Campbell at left tackle. Walker is projected to be a backup in 2020 if he granted eligibility. Miami might be able to use Walker later in the season if he is granted the NCAA waiver, play him in up to four games and maintain his redshirt season.