Reply to Do walk-ons still exist in college sports?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What is a walk on exactly? 
I’d never heard this phrase until last night when I watched a football movie with DD. It was a true story about Brandon Bowlsworth and how he played for Arkansas as a walk on initially. I understand he didn’t have a scholarship birth does it mean? Can anyone just join the team? 
It’s funny how I never heard it now it’s here on dcum. lol. I didn’t go to school here. [/quote]

Means you weren’t officially recruited and admitted as an athlete but you gain admission on your own, tryout and make the team.  Football teams have practice squads so you can walk onto the team, but not a scholarship position (ie you don’t dress for games).

Football is unique that nearly 100% of the players that dress get scholarships.  Sounds like he moved from the practice squad to the actual team.[/quote]

This isn’t exactly accurate. If you do a search for “walk on” and any given team, you’ll find that there are a good number of athletes that are recruited and play in games but are described as a “walk on” because they’re not on scholarship. They are sometimes described as a “preferred walk on” because they are non-scholarship, but guaranteed a roster spot. There are also “recruited” walk ons that are on the coach’s radar, but not guaranteed a roster spot. Division 1 FBS teams are limited to 85 scholarships, can have as many as 130 athletes on the roster, and can dress out as many roster players as they want, but can only have up to 80 actually participate in any game. Allowing for freshmen red shirts, injuries, holding some scholarships in reserve for transfers, etc, they’re going to have a good number of “walk ons” playing in any game. JJ Watt was a “walk on.” Baker Mayfield was a walk on and won the Heisman.

Teams will have open try outs for students that aren’t recruited at all, as well. Those are usually, but not always, on the practice squad.  I know someone who was an unrecruited walk on for a Division 1 FBS team who became a starter.

If any of the “walk ons”  do well, they can be put on scholarship. During the football season, it’s not uncommon to see emotional videos of walk ons being told that they’re getting a scholarship because of impressive game play.

https://www.statesman.com/story/sports/college/football/2022/12/17/texas-walk-on-football-player-michael-taaffe-earns-scholarship/69737183007/
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