TAMPA, Fla. — Chez Mellusi’s decision to return to Wisconsin for a sixth season seemed like the most important piece to solving the running back puzzle in 2024. With Mellusi presumably healthy, the Badgers had a definitive No. 1 and figured to enter the offseason on a quest to sort out backup roles from a slew of less experienced options.
It turned out that the Badgers weren’t done remaking the group.
Wisconsin secured a transfer portal commitment Friday night from former Oklahoma running back Tawee Walker, who will arrive on campus in January with one year of eligibility remaining. The 5-foot-9, 216-pound Walker finished his junior season with 102 carries for 513 yards and seven touchdowns as the Sooners’ backup tailback. He ran for 117 yards against SMU and 146 yards against Kansas and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in Oklahoma’s victory against Texas.
The addition gives Wisconsin a potential 1-2 combination next season of Mellusi and Walker. Mellusi ran for 307 yards and four touchdowns before suffering a season-ending broken leg in Week 4. He has 2,021 career rushing yards with 17 touchdowns.
“I have heard great things about Chez,” Walker said. “They believe that we can play perfect together.”
Walker, a native of North Las Vegas, began his college career at Palomar Junior College in California, where he played in all 11 games and ran for 875 yards with eight touchdowns in 2021. He also caught 19 passes for 189 yards. Walker said he earned opportunities after that season to play at the FCS level in the Big Sky Conference and at the FBS level in the Mountain West. But Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray convinced him to join the Sooners as a walk-on, citing the opportunities he would have to compete for playing time at a Power 5 program.
“I just put my trust in him,” Walker said. “They didn’t have a scholarship at the time. But he was telling me that if I just do what I was supposed to do and trust him that everything is going to be just fine. And I believe that it worked out.”
Walker said he never earned a scholarship during his two seasons at Oklahoma, but he will be on scholarship at Wisconsin. He announced Nov. 30 that he would be entering the transfer portal but remained with Oklahoma and played in the team’s Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona.
Walker noted running backs coach Devon Spalding reached out to him and the he visited Wisconsin on Dec. 15 for the weekend while Oklahoma was on a brief break and “fell in love with the place.” He highlighted the coaching staff, the environment and the potential of Wisconsin’s program. Although he said he heard from nearly 75 schools, Wisconsin was the only one he visited. Walker announced his transfer to Wisconsin one day after Oklahoma’s bowl game.
Wisconsin’s offense under coordinator Phil Longo wants to use its running backs in multiple ways. Braelon Allen, who declared for the NFL Draft after the regular season, caught 28 passes for 131 yards in addition to running for 984 yards with 12 touchdowns. Walker described himself as a downhill running back who can “do it all.” According to Pro Football Focus, he lined up for 266 snaps in the backfield this season and played 16 snaps in the slot and three out wide. Walker caught 10 passes for 81 yards.
“The biggest thing for Wisconsin was that I can catch out of the backfield and that I always make the first man miss anytime I get the ball,” Walker said.
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Walker’s addition gives Wisconsin eight scholarship running backs, although there could be some movement before the start of next season because that is an especially large number at the position. Jackson Acker, Cade Yacamelli and Nate White are the other scholarship running backs still on the roster this season. Acker is expected to start in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday with Mellusi recovering from an injury and Allen off to the NFL.
Acker has carried 58 times for 238 yards and one touchdown and produced a career-high 65-yard rushing performance against Rutgers. Yacamelli has been a lightly used reserve who has 29 carries for 129 yards. White, a true freshman, has yet to play this season.
Wisconsin signed three running backs in its 2024 recruiting class with Dilin Jones, Darrion Dupree and Gideon Ituka. Jones and Dupree are versatile four-star prospects with speed and pass-catching ability, while the 5-9, 225-pound Ituka is a more bruising tailback who is set to enroll early. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said last week that his top priority in recruiting was addressing the running back position. He said he thought all three could have an opportunity to play next season. Fickell was asked how he sold the idea of bringing in three running backs in one class to those players.
“You never know,” Fickell said. “Any place a guy goes that is a really good program, a top-tier program, there’s going to be six guys that have been the best player on their team. So you’re going to have to go in at that position and work and challenge and compete. And nothing’s going to be handed to you.”
Walker could provide a one-year bridge that allows those young running backs to gain strength and learn Wisconsin’s system in a less pressure-filled environment. Given that Mellusi has had injuries in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin, including a pair of season-ending injuries, Walker also appears to be a player who could fill a bigger role if necessary. It should make for an intriguing offseason at one of the most important positions on the team.
“I believe if I do what I’m supposed to do on and off the field while I’m at Wisconsin, then I will get significant playing time there,” Walker said. “The backs they have are great backs now. Every backfield, you never know what happens during the season. So I’ve just got to capitalize on what I can handle. If I do that, I believe I’ll have a great opportunity.”
(Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
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