Making it to a college football roster isn’t always about offers and scholarship letters that arrive with a dose of confetti. Many athletes’ journeys don’t start with a scholarship, but still lead straight to the field. While getting recruited and landing that dream scholarship is the golden ticket, it’s not the only route.
The walk-on path, especially the “preferred” version, has become a legit and strategic way for athletes to break into the college football scene. It is less about luck and more about relationships, and knowing exactly where the athlete stands.
What Does It Mean To Be a Preferred Walk-On Athlete?
There are two kinds of Walk-On Athletes: preferred and regular. A preferred walk-on is like getting an RSVP to the party, but without any party favors. The coach sees potential, wants that player on the roster, and offers them a sport. Now, the catch is, there is no scholarship for the first year. That means tuition, housing, and books are all on the athlete. But the guaranteed spot is no small deal.
Best Walk-Ons in College Football History
1 Stetson Bennett (Georgia)
2 Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma)
3 Hunter Renfrow (Clemson)
4 JJ Watt (Wisconsin)
5 Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia)
6 Matt McGloin (Penn State)
7 Justin Hardy (East Carolina)
8 Mike Hass (Oregon State)
9 Ziggy Ansah… pic.twitter.com/EuPtVJtrCK— Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) March 27, 2024
Now, the regular walk-on is a whole different game. These athletes have to earn their stripes through open tryouts and hustle their way onto the team. Nothing is promised, not even a helmet. Coaches may not even know their name until they show up at training camp ready. Now, there are more layers to this.
There are recruited and unrecruited walk-ons. A recruited walk-on has been noticed. This could be by the coach who has seen the tapes, or maybe they have exchanged emails, but there is still no official offer. It’s a soft “we’re interested,” followed by, “now show us what you’ve got at tryouts.”
Meanwhile, the unrecruited walk-ons are coming in cold. They must reach out first, attend open tryouts, and prove themselves from scratch. Preferred walk-ons, though, are already on the coach’s radar. They’re just walking the tightrope of self-funded dreams. Still, they’ve got a leg up on the competition.
Now, when it comes to admissions, things get tricky again. Depending on the sport and the school, a preferred walk-on might get a little nudge through the admissions process. But it’s not guaranteed if the football coach carries weight in the admissions office, great. If not? The athlete might be on their own for that, too.
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Some schools allow only a handful of admissions pushes per year, and coaches must use those wisely. Now, coming to KS.
The walk-ons do eventually get scholarships. NCAA rules mean no athletic scholarship money can go to a walk-on until at least their sophomore year. However, preferred walk-ons usually sit higher on the totem pole when those scholarships open up.
While the preferred walk-on path isn’t all glitter, it is also not something that can be pushed off.
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