Running back, Michigan State (from Wake Forest), 2019–⁠21

Ken Walker III

Number
No. 9
Height
5′10″
Weight
210 lb
Class (2021)
Junior
Hometown
Arlington, TN
Born
Oct 20, 2000

Ken Walker III played running back at Wake Forest (2019–⁠20) and Michigan State (2021). He won the 2021 Doak Walker Award and the 2021 Walter Camp Award. He finished sixth in the 2021 Heisman vote and was a consensus All‑American in 2021. The Seattle Seahawks took Walker in round 2, No. 41 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,636
Rushing yards, 2021 (Michigan State, 11–⁠2)
Best game
264 yards
At Northwestern, week 1, 2021: No. 1 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 2
In FBS in rushing yards, 2021
Drafted
No. 41
Round 2, 2022 NFL Draft (Seattle Seahawks)

Career highs

264rushing yards, career highat Northwestern, 20215rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Michigan, 2021

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2019Wake Forest985795.9496
2020Wake Forest1195794.91375
2021Michigan State2631,6366.21894
Career4802,7945.83596

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2019Wake Forest3175.7015
2020Wake Forest33010.0019
2021Michigan State13896.8117
Career191367.2119

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2019Wake Forest81390

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2019Wake Forest9RBFr.
2020Wake Forest9RBSo.
2021Michigan State9RBJr.5′10″210

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2019Wake Forest1040.0629th (n=287)0.136.611%0.11
2020Wake Forest1220.2167th (n=212)0.1425.523%0.23
2021Michigan State2680.2471st (n=277)0.1663.335%0.34

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2021 Michigan State 12 games, 1,636 rushing yards, 18 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3atNorthwesternW 38–⁠2123264475––
Sep 11vs.Youngstown StateW 42–⁠14757124––
Sep 18atMiamiW 38–⁠1727172026317
Sep 25vs.NebraskaW 23–⁠201961023––
Oct 2vs.Western KentuckyW 48–⁠3124126315––
Oct 9atRutgersW 31–⁠1329233194113
Oct 16atIndianaW 20–⁠1523840131−5
Oct 30vs.MichiganW 37–⁠3323197558311
Nov 6atPurdueL 29–⁠4022136133220
Nov 13vs.MarylandW 40–⁠2130143236229
Nov 20atOhio StateL 7–⁠5662501514
Nov 27vs.Penn StateW 30–⁠2730138135––
2020 Wake Forest 7 games, 579 rushing yards, 13 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 12vs.ClemsonL 13–⁠37619012––
Sep 19atNC StateL 42–⁠452713131417
Oct 2vs.CampbellW 66–⁠1411105127––
Oct 17vs.VirginiaW 40–⁠2323128375––
Oct 24vs.Virginia TechW 23–⁠16236611114
Oct 31atSyracuseW 38–⁠141679320––
Nov 14atNorth CarolinaL 53–⁠591351211119
2019 Wake Forest 13 games, 579 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 30vs.Utah StateW 38–⁠35––––––
Sep 6atRiceW 41–⁠219125196––
Sep 13vs.North CarolinaW 24–⁠181394021––
Sep 21vs.ElonW 49–⁠7991123115
Sep 28atBoston CollegeW 27–⁠242804––
Oct 12vs.LouisvilleL 59–⁠6241015––
Oct 19vs.Florida StateW 22–⁠201−100––
Nov 2vs.NC StateW 44–⁠10165601610
Nov 9atVirginia TechL 17–⁠3631105––
Nov 16atClemsonL 3–⁠5261608––
Nov 23vs.DukeW 39–⁠2717113134––
Nov 30atSyracuseL 30–⁠391032012––
Dec 27 ✦vs.Michigan StateL 21–⁠278240912

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2022
Height5′9¼″
Weight211 lb
Arm length30⅜″
Hand size9½″
Wingspan73″W
40-yard dash4.38 s
10-yard split1.49 sW
Vertical jump34″
Broad jump10′2″

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

5 seasons, 62 games with a stat; latest team: Kansas City Chiefs.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2022Seattle Seahawks152281,050927165
2023Seattle Seahawks15219905829259
2024Seattle Seahawks11153573746299
2025Seattle Seahawks172211,027531282
2026 (so far)Kansas City Chiefs48753741284
NFL career629084,092331451,089

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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