Indiana RB Ronnie Walker Jr. transfers to Virginia

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Hopewell native Ronnie Walker Jr., a running back who played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana University, is transferring to Virginia, head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced on Friday morning.

Walker (5-foot-11, 210 pounds) plans to enroll at UVA this summer and will have two years of eligibility remaining as a Cavalier. He will not play in 2020 due to the NCAA transfer rule, unless granted a waiver.

Walker appeared in 22 career games for Indiana over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During his Indiana career, Walker rushed 59 times for 221 times and two touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown.

As a freshman in 2018, Walker rushed 32 times for 141 yards (4.4 average) with two touchdowns, including one that came on a 30-yard sprint against then-No. 18 Penn State. Walker earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2019 after playing in all 13 games.

Excited to say that I will be transferring to the University of Virginia 🔷⚔️🔶 #TheStandard #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/GZPnuMmR23

— Ronnie Walker Jr. (@RonnieWalker32) April 17, 2020

Walker had a tremendous career at Hopewell HS for head coach Ricky Irby. Walker was a two-time all-state and all-region section that led Hopewell to the 2017 state title. As a senior, Walker rushed for 1,344 yards on 216 carries (6.2 average) with 19 touchdowns. He posted 122 yards on the ground with three touchdowns in the state semifinal game.

He was named the 2016 Region 3A East Player of the Year and Conference 26 Player of the Year as a junior after rushing for 2,011 yards on 250 carries (8.0 average) and 25 touchdowns in 14 games. Walker also qualified for regionals in the 100-meter dash and the shot put.

Walker was ranked the No. 21 running back nationally by 247Sports in 2018 and the No. 6 prospect in Virginia by ESPN. He is the older brother of the nation’s top running-back prospect, TreVeyon Henderson (Class of 2021), who recently chose Ohio State over UVA as his college destination.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights coming out of Hopewell: