4-Star OT Walker Parks Signs Letter of Intent

Clemson officially added Walker Parks to their 2020 recruiting class today. Parks comes to Clemson from Lexington, Kentucky (Frederick Douglass). The 4-star OT measures at 6’5’’ 275lb and is rated as the #5 OT in the 2020 class and #56 player overall per the 247Sports Composite®.

Parks’ lead recruiter was Robbie Caldwell, who will serve as his position coach at Clemson. Clemson identified and prioritized Parks early in the recruiting process. He chose the Tigers over offers from Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Kentucky.

Parks is one of the biggest risers from Clemson’s 2020 class. When he committed to the Tigers in October 2018 he was ranked #323 nationally. Since then, Walker’s body has continued to develop while he maintained his quick feet. His showings at camps in 2019 and his senior film has led to him rocketing up boards and being in contention for a fifth star. This was an incredibly important and impressive evaluation by the staff.

Parks’ lofty ranking is due to a variety of factors. He has a prototypical OT frame, little to no bad weight, and great length. His testing numbers are arguably the best of any offensive lineman in the 2020 class. He has great initial burst and shows the strength to drive blockers into the backfield. His verified results from the opening finals include a 4.92 40-yard dash, 4.50 shuttle, and a 31 inch vertical leap. There have been some minor concerns with his hands technique but that should be easily cleaned up with college coaching. Parks; verified explosiveness combined with his on field success makes him the heir apparent at the left tackle position once Jackson Carman finishes his Clemson career. You can watch Parks play during the Under Armour All American game on January 2nd.

His potential will be for naught without consistent dedication in the weight room and a matching dietary plan. Clemson has excelled here in the past and Parks should be able to contribute early if he is able to reach 290+ pounds prior to next fall. Parks should avoid a redshirt and contribute often given the lack of tackle depth on next year’s team. Clemson desperately needed a homerun tackle commitment in the class and Parks fits the bill. In my opinion, he is the Tyler Davis of this class.

Take a look at Parks’ hudl film below and share your thoughts in the comments

QT’s Take:

Clemson needs Walker Parks to be a 5* offensive tackle talent. He is headed straight to the two deep next season for Clemson regardless. Clemson has very little Tackle depth with the exit of Chandler Reeves and the questionable status of Blake Vinson’s health coupled with Carman potentially heading to the NFL early going forward. He is a LT for Clemson unless Clemson can outrecruit him, but may be an ideal RT down the road or in the NFL.

Walker has steadily risen the recruiting rankings with some stellar camp performances and great senior tape. He will challenge for 5* status after the all-star games. Parks just needs to prove he can maintain his performance with an additional 20 pounds on his frame. He currently sits around 275 range and needs ten more pounds before playing at Clemson. Mitch Hyatt is actually a very apt comparison, but Parks moves a bit better at this point (but he does have ten to twenty less pounds). Walker plays with more of a mean streak as well. His pass protection has improved over the years and he has dominated his competition in his home state of Kentucky.