Could Amorion Walker’s size, elite speed be an asset on defense?

6-foot-3 Amorion Walker came to Michigan as a three-star prospect who could be utilized as a wideout or cornerback. Walker caught one pass during his freshman campaign and appeared in five games at wideout, and one at defensive back.

With Michigan’s spring practices just weeks away, there’s speculation Walker could be moving to cornerback long-term.

Per Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb, there’s a chance Walker spends most of his time at corner this spring.

Walker’s been in the news this week for another reason, a viral video of him running an astounding 6.10-second hand-timed three-cone-drill.

It’s important to remember that this was a hand-timed 6.10 seconds, but it’s also important to realize that would be the fastest time in NFL Combine history.

Our friends at The Wolverine talked to Walker at the Fiesta Bowl about his versatility and playing on both sides of the ball.

“Coming into Michigan, I thought I was going to play receiver. That’s what I primarily was [recruited] for, but I’m starting to like DB a lot, too,” Walker told TheWolverine.com. “I’m gonna have to pick one eventually, or play a little bit of both but one primarily. I like to score touchdowns, but defense is fun, too. I guess I’ll figure it out.”

Michigan had success in 2022 with former wideout Mike Sainristil moving to nickel back, and the same thing could happen again in 2023 with Walker.

Co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale noted last September that Walker seems like a natural on defense.

“We’re starting with him in a third down package — primarily man coverages and give him the opportunity to showcase his talents and get comfortable. When you play defensive back, if you’re not confident and comfortable, it’s a little hard to make plays, it’s hard to just want to be out there. We’re finding his role. He’s a very versatile athlete, and he’s very natural at corner when it comes to the athletic piece. We’ve done a lot of meetings and stuff, and he actually picks things up very fast. He knows the zone coverages and man now.”

With Walker’s height, size, and speed he makes for an incredibly intriguing option at cornerback. Ideally the 6-foot-3 athlete can excel in press coverage and jam wideouts. His speed, along with refined technique, may allow Walker to keep up with even the fastest receivers if the opposition chooses to goes vertical.

While Walker may get snaps on both sides of the ball this season, he’s someone to keep an eye on this spring as a breakout player for the Wolverines this upcoming season.