DeMarcus Walker’s wait is over, albeit too late for him to have gained valuable experience this spring.
The Florida State freshman defensive end was approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse on Friday, more than five months after he graduated from Jacksonville Sandalwood High early and enrolled in college.
Walker, a Scout.com four-star prospect, had planned to get a jump on academics and participate in practice in March and April with the football team. But the NCAA Clearinghouse didn’t give him the OK to practice, and Walker was only able to take classes and watch game film with the football coaches.
“Nole Nation I just got the best news ever I'm cleared academically now,” Walker said on his Twitter. “I swear ever school on the schedule is in trouble now #FEAR THE SPEAR”
Walker’s signing was important for Florida State, which lost three defensive ends to the NFL. Now he will compete with the nation’s top defensive recruit of 2012, Mario Edwards Jr., Dan Hicks and Giorgio Newberry for playing time this fall
Second-round pick Tank Carradine, who was drafted by the Washington Redskins, graduated after a stellar senior season in which he had 80 tackles and 11 sacks. Bjoern Werner, a first-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts, left a year early after recording 13 sacks in his junior season. And Brandon Jenkins had 22.5 sacks in his Florida State career and opted to leave early after suffering a season-ending foot injury in the first game of the season.
