When I talk about Bellaire Episcopal offensive tackle Walker Little, I simply refer to him as “Franchise”. At 6’8, 305 pounds, Little is built like a future franchise offensive tackle and he has the potential to grow into exactly that in 4-5 years. He possesses great feet, good athleticism, long arms, he has more than ample functional strength that shows up on film, he play with a bit of mean streak, and he is also a good pass blocker.
I had the opportunity to see Little up close and personal over the spring and summer as he competed against some of the best players in the state and the country; earning himself an invite out to The Opening in Oregon. If you kept up with the camp circuit this offseason, you probably know that Little dominated at every camp he attended and brought home MVP honors at almost all of them as he put his skills on full display.
Not only are Little’s physical measurables impressive, but his ability to apply what he has learned and coached up on very quickly is equally as impressive. Take Little’s performance at The Opening as an example. After dominating every camp leading up to The Opening, Little struggled some to start off the event. Instead of hanging his head and getting frustrated after a slow start, instead Little paid close attention as offensive line guru LeCharles Bentley coached him after each rep he took. Little took every bit of that coaching from Bentley and applied it to every rep thereafter and quickly turned his performance around. Little had one of the highlights of the weekend when he absolutely dominated his opponent during 1 on 1s and threw him into the ground with ease.
Little continued to build momentum as camp wore on and he was named into the Final Five, which are spots reserved for the top performers at the position and he was named as one of the top players for the entire camp. Little’s performance earned him a considerable boost on the major recruiting networks, and he officially earned his fifth star. You will be hard pressed to find another player who had a better offseason campaign on the camp circuit, and on top of that Little drew some very high praise from someone who knows a thing or two at playing offensive tackle.
Washington Redskins All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams (formerly of Oklahoma and Longview High School) is one of the best at his position in the NFL. Williams has worked closely with Little during the offseason, and he was on hand in Oregon to take in his performance during The Opening. When asked about Little’s potential, Williams absolutely gushed about the Bellaire Episcopal product and when I told him that Little compared his game to his in an interview he flashed a big smile and said that he definitely could see him reach that kind of potential.
When you have someone like Williams singing your praises, you know you are doing something right. As I mentioned before, this wasn’t Williams’ first time seeing Little in person, so he has a pretty good idea of his ability and work ethic having worked closely with him. Williams and I both agreed that Little has a chance to be a special player and feel like he has a chance to be a guy that plays on Sunday if he hits anywhere close to his ceiling.
Little has every school in the country beating down his door right now, but as things sit right now, Ole Miss, Stanford, and Texas stand out for the elite offensive tackle. Most seem to think it could end up coming down to Texas and Stanford, with the Longhorns holding the proximity advantage. Little has already been accepted into Stanford, so he is clearly getting it done in the classroom as well as on the field, which is a huge testament to his character. Whoever ends up landing Little’s signature is getting an absolute stud on the field and an even better student.
