In college sports, a walk-on is an athlete who joins a college team without being recruited and without an athletic scholarship. Walk-ons are generally treated as less significant than scholarship players and may not appear on the official depth chart or travel with the team, but they can earn their way into the line-up, and some have become the best-known players on their teams.
The term is used in American and Canadian college athletics. A related term, “preferred walk-on”, describes a recruit whom the coaches guarantee a place on the roster but cannot or will not give a scholarship.
Why Teams Have Walk-Ons
The main reason is scholarship limits set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Every sport has a cap on the number of scholarships a team may award, so coaches fill the rest of the roster with unrecruited players. In football, many teams do not offer scholarships to punters, long snappers and placekickers until they have proved themselves, so those positions are commonly filled by walk-ons. The limit can also bite in unexpected ways: in 2013-14, Creighton forward Doug McDermott became a walk-on after a teammate was granted a rare sixth year of eligibility, which put the team over the 13-scholarship limit.
What a Preferred Walk-On Is
A preferred walk-on is a prospect whom the coaches guarantee a spot on the team but are unwilling or unable to give a scholarship to. It is particularly common for punters and kickers in college football. The player is expected on the roster from day one, unlike a tryout walk-on who has to win a place, but pays their own way unless a scholarship opens up later.
How to Earn Playing Time and a Scholarship as a Walk-On
- Injuries and depth. When injury or outside issues leave several players at one position unavailable, a walk-on can be elevated to a featured role.
- Scout team and practice. A walk-on who impresses the coaching staff on the scout team and in practice may be rewarded with a scholarship and a place on the regular depth chart. Players who succeed this way are often the inspiration for future walk-ons.
- Recognition. The Burlsworth Trophy, named after former Arkansas walk-on guard Brandon Burlsworth, who earned second-team All-American honors in 1998, has been awarded since the 2010 season to the most outstanding player in the Football Bowl Subdivision who began his college career as a walk-on. Its only two-time winner, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield (2015 and 2016), began as a walk-on at Texas Tech and went on to win the 2017 Heisman Trophy.
Walk-On vs Scholarship Player vs Recruit
| Status | Recruited? | Athletic scholarship? | Roster spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarship player | Usually | Yes | Guaranteed by the scholarship |
| Preferred walk-on | Yes | No | Guaranteed by the coaches |
| Walk-on (tryout) | No | No | Must be earned |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do walk-ons get scholarships? Not at first. A walk-on can be awarded a scholarship later if they impress the coaches and a scholarship is available under the team’s limit.
- Do walk-ons travel with the team? Not necessarily. Walk-ons may be left off the traveling team and the official depth chart.
- Which positions are most often walk-ons? In football, punters, long snappers and placekickers, because teams often withhold scholarships from those positions until the player is established.
- Can a walk-on become a star? Yes. Baker Mayfield began as a walk-on and won the Heisman Trophy in 2017.