Dirk Knudsen; Washingtonpreps.com
Chevy Walker had 300 all purpose yards last Friday and is one of the top recruits in the NW Region

Watching the Huskies struggle against a very good Eastern Washington team this weekend was refreshing in one way. There on the field for EWU was former Skyline standout Evan Day just tearing it up against the Pac 12 Huskies. And it brought to mind something that happen every year. The best sometimes slip through the cracks.

Day was a star at Skyline and did all he should have had to do to get a offer from a school like Washington. But due to an injury or not having prototypical size etc he was overlooked. That happens but this weekend we were reminded two fold that this recruiting game is a messy stew at best and coaches and players are caught in an onslaught of analysis, timing, and a nexus of “friend of the program” and recruiting analysts.

Brett Smith, the former West Salem Titan, is now at Wyoming. He too was a Husky prospect but they could never pull the trigger on him. So as the true freshmen led his team with over 300 yards of offense to the win one has to wonder. What was it he did not have that they wanted because he sure looked the part Saturday.

All of that does not matter now but it is noteworthy as we look at this years recruiting class and ponder why some of Friday’s very best athletes still seem to go under the radar.

Chevy Walker is one of those guys. The Eastside Catholic star had a stellar Junior year with almost 2,300 all purpose yards. Only Keivarae Russell had more yards and while Russell sits atop a mountain of 17 Major school offers Walker does not.

Now he does have Portland State, Idaho, and Montana. All great schools. But is he destined to be another Brett Smith or Evan Day? Time will tell but rest assured he will do all he can to make a statement.

This past weekend he had over 300 yards in the opener. Chevy was simply spectacular rushing for 3 TD’s from the backfield. He also caught a long pass for a TD and added a 5th score with a classic kick return for TD>

He is such a hard runner with great top end speed that once he is in the secondary an average High School athlete will not stop him. His change of direction and ability to stop and start is a D-1 skill he has.

Chevy talked about his offers so far saying, “Montana wants me as an athlete, Idaho is saying Wide Receiver, and Portland State is saying I will run the ball.”

This is a testament to his versatility. And here is the ironic thing for the 6’1/2″, 185 pound star.

“I really think I am a better Safety then any of those positions,” said Walker who considers himself a big hitter and a real ball hawk.

His Crusaders came up with a big win over Cleveland and Walker feels it was a good test.

“They had the biggest line I have ever seen. They were tough up front but I ran hard and was able to be effective which is encouraging for me,” he added not telling us that his 300 yards came in the first half.

His goals for the team include a conference title, a trip to State, and a shot at the title. He hopes to avenge the 2 point last minute loss to Bainbridge last year.

Chevy has a personal goal of making 2,000 yards rushing. He knows that is not going to be easy but believes in the power of setting goals.

“I always set my sites high and believe in going for it all. Like anything in life you have to work to achieve but you also have to know what your trying to do. So I have high goals set for me and the team.”

As the season goes on he hopes that his new Coach Jeremy Thielbahr will give him a shot at the Safety position but knows that he needs to keep his legs fresh.

There are a list of big schools looking hard at Walker and they should be. BYU, Boise State, WSU, OSU, Arizona State, Oregon, Wyoming and yes even the Huskies are looking at him hard.

“Arizona State has been checking in a a lot so there may be something solid for me there. Right now I will keep running and doing what I need to do for the team. That stuff will take care of itself,” he concluded.

Walker is one to watch this year and while some web sites that host camps and combines seem to bias their “rankings” for those that pay for their camps or services WashintonPreps.com remains unbiased.

That is the nice thing about doing the work professionally. In our view Chevy Walker is a true talent that has the skills, grades, and mind set to play at the highest level.

Check Out WashingtonPreps.com Propect List of Top Seniors