Kenneth Walker III updates 2022 NFL Draft, status for Peach Bowl vs. Pittsburgh

Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III has officially played his last down for the Spartans.

The dynamic junior tailback announced on Thursday that he has opted out of the team’s Peach Bowl matchup against Pittsburgh on Thursday, December 30 and will focus on the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

Arriving to East Lansing, MI, from Wake Forest via the transfer portal this season, Walker made an immediate impact and became an overnight household name in college football. Through 12 games, he ran for 1,646 yards on 62 yards per play and 18 touchdowns. He really put his name on the map with a five-touchdown performance against in-state rival Michigan in late October, briefly hurling his name into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

While an invite to the Heisman ceremony ultimately wasn’t in the cards, he was stilled voted on as a consensus All-American and took home both the Walter Camp and Doak Walker Awards.