Purdue's Walters gives walk-on scholarship in first act as HC

New Purdue head coach Ryan Walters Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Watch: Ryan Walters gives walk-on a scholarship in first act as Purdue head coach

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 12/13/22

Ryan Walters is the new head coach at Purdue, and he's already pulling rank and using his powers to affect change in the program.

His very first order of business? Walters wasted no time in elevating a member of the team from walk-on status to that of a scholarship player. That player was none other than running back Devin Mockobee, who was awarded a scholarship in Walter's very first team meeting as head coach.

"I played against you guys and when I found out he was a walk-on I was like ‘what the hell going on over there?’ So [the] first order of business I’m going to pull rank right now and you are on scholarship," Walters told Mockobee to the delight of his teammates.

First order of business, @Coach_Walters had an announcement to make pic.twitter.com/0m5BeWvm3x
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) December 14, 2022

"I guess that's what it feels like to flex a little bit as a head coach," Walters joked with his new team.

If that was a flex from Walters it was a good one. As a freshman walk-on in 2022, Mockobee rushed 182 times for the Boilermakers for 920 yards and nine touchdowns.

That total included 28 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown against Illinois with Walters on the other sideline as defensive coordinator.

Walters got a first-hand taste of what Mockobee brings to the table for Purdue, and it's really cool to see that he rewarded the young star with a scholarship the first chance he got.

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