Bears Continue Their Portal Run, Add Purdue TE Rico Walker

The Bears continued their successful transfer portal run, adding Purdue junior tight end Rico Walker‍ tonight to their 2026 portal class.

The 6-3/250 TE added 9 catches for 100 yards (11.1 ypc) for the Boilermakers this season after transferring from Auburn after his sophomore season. He intially started his collegiate career at Maryland as a frosh in 2023 where had 4 catches for 27 yards with the Terps.

Rated a consensus 4 star recruit out of Hickory, North Carolina and rated the #128th player in the nation by ESPN, Walker had a who’s who list of suitors, including Texas, Michigan, Miami, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and more before choosing Maryland. As a senior, Walker starred on both sides of the ball, adding 30 receptions for 629 yards and 9 touchdowns on offense and 119 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss on D.

Walker becomes the second tight end addition to the portal class, joining New Mexico tight end Dorian Thomas‍ as well as QB Jackson Brousseau‍ (Colorado St), running backs Adam Mohammed‍ (UW), Carter Vargas‍ (UC Davis) and Ashton Emory‍ (UTEP), receivers Cooper Perry‍ (Oregon), Ian Strong‍ (Rutgers) and Chase Hendricks‍ (Ohio) and offensive linemen Jimothy Lewis‍ (Miss St), Jacob Arop‍ (South Dakota), Mykeal Rabess‍ (FIU), Kahlee Tafai‍ (Minnesota) and Ashton Rivera‍On  (Ball St).

On defense, the Bears added DTs Jericho Johnson‍ (Oregon), Justin Beadles‍ (Louisville) and Ashun Shepphard‍ (Miss St), edges Emmanuel Okoye‍ (Tennessee), Solomon Williams‍ (Texas A&M) and Joshua Pierce‍ (UNT), linebackers AJ Tuitele‍ (USC), Kamar Mothudi‍ (Oregon) and Tristan Jernigan‍, (Texas A&M) cornerbacks Ricky Fletcher‍ (Ole Miss) Daniel Harris‍ and Marquis Groves-Killebrew‍, safeties Kingston Lopa‍ (Oregon) and Michael Hurst Jr‍ (NAU).