Michigan football's Kareem Walker, former top recruit, leaves program

Nick Baumgardner | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Michigan Wolverines' 2018 football schedule A look at the Wolverines' 2018 regular-season schedule, which opens at Notre Dame on Sept. 1, and finishes at Ohio State on Nov. 24. Video by Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press

Kareem Walker, once a highly touted running back recruit for Michigan football, appears to be off to a junior college in Kansas.

Fort Scott Community College head coach Kale Pick told reporters at the recent Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference football media day event Walker has signed to play with Fort Scott for the 2018 season.

Pick said Walker signed with his program Friday.

Pick says Fort Scott has also signed former Michigan (and Rutgers) receiver Ahmir Mitchell. Both players signed with the Wolverines during the 2016 class. Both enrolled early and were part of Jim Harbaugh's first "Signing of the Stars" event in Ann Arbor.

Mitchell never played a game at Michigan, leaving after a suspension before the start of the 2016 season. He eventually transferred to Rutgers, but was dismissed this offseason.

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Walker, meanwhile, sat out his first season in Ann Arbor due to academic issues but was able to get back on the field for the 2017 campaign. He played in five games last season, tallying 20 rush attempts for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Once rated as the No. 1-ranked running back recruit in the 2016 class, Walker eventually inked with Michigan after a previous commitment to Ohio State.

When discussing his running back hierarchy at Big Ten media days last week, Harbaugh mentioned senior Karan Higdon and junior Chris Evans as the team's top two backs.

From there, he said walk-ons Tru Wilson and Joe Hewlett, second-year backs O'Maury Samuels and Kurt Taylor, along with true freshmen Christian Turner and Hassan Haskins, were in the mix for the team's No. 3 running back job.

Michigan is scheduled to open fall camp Friday in Ann Arbor.

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Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner.

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