Top 5 Mississippi State Recruiting Busts

2. Dontae Walker
1999 Signing Class

Dontae Walker was going to be a star at Mississippi State. He was one of the best running backs in the country coming out of high school, and he was playing at a school that knew how to pound the rock.

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His Freshman and Sophomore years were pretty good. Walker averaged just over 5 yards a carry those two years, but Walker’s lack of a work ethic were a big reason the Bulldogs collapsed in 2001.

The Bulldogs were supposed to be one of the best teams in the country in 2001, and Dontae Walker was one of the reasons why. The combination of Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker at running back were going to shred SEC defenses. But Walker didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. He just barely averaged four yards a carry as a junior in 2001.

His senior season in 2002, Walker, who was large when he arrived in Starkville, showed up to camp significantly overweight. After a poor performance in a game in 2002, fans began to boo Walker as he came off the sideline. Walker left the game because he was unhappy with the reaction and the coaching staff dismissed him from the team.

Walker’s troubles continued after he was dismissed from the Bulldogs. In 2005, Walker was sentenced to 25 years on drugs possession charges. He was released on probation after four years, and Walker has tried to straighten out his life. He graduated from Belhaven in 2013, and was offered a coaching job in Alabama the same year.

Next: Quay Evans