For Arden Walker, the chance to play close to home was too irresistible to reject.
“I’m glad to be home,” expressed the Colorado edge defender. “It’s been so much fun, obviously, playing in front of my friends and family and then just being able to go home when I want to and things like that.”
“Playing in front of the home crowd, you can’t beat it and I’ve really just been soaking everything in.”
The opportunity on the field has been quite remarkable, as well.
This Saturday, CU (4-7, 1-7 Pac-12) will conclude its inaugural season under head coach Deion Sanders against Utah (7-4, 4-4) in Salt Lake City (1 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
With no postseason on the horizon, there was a look-to-the-future feel around the team this week, and Walker is a significant part of that.
A graduate of Cherry Creek High School who played his initial seasons at Missouri before transferring to CU over the summer, Walker’s statistics may not be extraordinary. Playing most of the year behind veterans, including Jordan Domineck, Walker has averaged just 17 snaps per game. He’s recorded 10 tackles, one sack, and three quarterback hurries.
Despite this, with two more years ahead, Walker has exhibited enormous potential for the future.
Walker mentioned that he has learned from watching stars such as Laiatu Latu at UCLA, but also from his own teammate. A sixth-year senior, Domineck has been a model leader for Walker and others. He leads CU with 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, but his influence goes beyond the numbers.
“He definitely just kind of took me under his wing, as well,” Walker said. “He’s kind of just showed me the ropes and I’ll be able to take over next year. … He’s had an extensive amount of snaps, so it’s like seeing things on the field that somebody usually wouldn’t see. Especially for a person like me who’s still trying to figure things out. I think I’ll be good by next fall.”
Domineck and edge coach Nick Williams mentioned they believe Walker is the player in the room most ready to take the leadership baton from Domineck, who is exhausting his eligibility this season.
“Arden is extremely talented,” Williams said. “And when he turns it on, he’s on. But I could very well see Arden filling those shoes. He’s another guy from the SEC, so he understands about the importance of going against good competition and he’s won against good competition.
“I expect him to develop. He’s like a freshman. I mean, coming into this year, he had three more years. So I think in a couple more, he’ll be ready. He can play.”
Walker gives Williams credit for bringing some of that out of him. After spending two seasons developing at Missouri, Walker has reached a new level of play this year.
“I really appreciate coach Nick bringing that energy every day just on and off the field and just making sure that we know our assignments and alignment and things like that,” Walker said. “With him, I’ve definitely upped my play in terms of how hard I’m playing each and every day.
“He’s looking for me to step into a leadership role, and I think I’m molding myself … actually I know I’ll make sure to step up next year.”
Walker is eager to see what he can do in his future but has taken time to appreciate the value of this season.
“It’s been a blessing for me,” he said. “Everything has just been like a learning curve. The opportunity I was looking for to get when I was transferring out. I’ve been slowly moving into that role and stepping into it. So I feel like by next year, I put the work in and it’s gonna happen for me. So, I think I’m on my way for sure.”
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