Will No. 1 2016 Running Back Kareem Walker Stay Committed to Ohio State?

In the middle of Monday night's national title-clinching victory over Oregon, Urban Meyer scored a huge victory on the recruiting trail when 2016 5-star running back Kareem Walker committed to Ohio State.

Walker announced his decision via Twitter:

"

Proud to announce that I will be furthering my education and football career at THE Ohio State University. #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/xLnEwFJJak

— Al〽️ightyReem (@_KareemWalker) January 13, 2015"

The timing of his commitment is odd, considering Walker, who checks in as the nation’s top running back and the No. 9 player overall in the 2016 class, had previously stated plans to wait it out before announcing his decision, per Alex Gleitman of Bucknuts (subscription required).

“I’m going to make a decision on national signing day,” Walker told Gleitman in November. “All of the juniors, Class of 2016, on my team, we made a pact that none of us were going to commit until national signing day, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll take visits this fall and in the offseason, and then all five of my official visits before deciding.”

Did Walker just get swept up in the moment, or will his pledge to the Buckeyes remain solid?

That remains to be seen.

What’s clear is that of the laundry list of schools that were recruiting the 6’1”, 210-pounder—a group that included Alabama, Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame, among others—the Buckeyes made him feel the most comfortable with their plans for him.

“I took a visit there this summer and loved it up there,” Walker told Gleitman. “The running backs coach, Coach [Stan] Drayton, I like him a lot and we get along real well. I think I fit their offense well and they like to run the ball.”

There’s no doubt that the recent success of Buckeyes sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott has been eye-catching for top backs such as Walker.

Meyer has recruited well since taking over the Ohio State program, but there isn't as big of a logjam in the backfield as there is at other positions on the roster.

According to Ourlads, the Buckeyes depth chart shows freshman Curtis Samuel and sophomore Warren Ball backing up Elliott—who could have a decision to make at this point next year regarding whether he should leave school early for the NFL draft.

The Buckeyes also have a pledge from 2015 4-star running back Michael Weber, who rates as one of the nation’s top backs in the current cycle after rushing for 5,627 yards and 74 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

While the depth chart isn’t likely to cause Walker to have second thoughts, a lot of time will pass between now and national signing day for the 2016 class.

USA TODAY Sports

It’s also a certainty that other schools will continue to aggressively pursue Walker during the offseason.

It’s during the next few months that the strength of Walker’s pledge to the Buckeyes will be gauged. If he takes visits to other schools and continues to entertain overtures from other programs, his process is unlikely to be completely over.

However, if he’s a frequent visitor to Columbus during the spring and summer and takes on a role as a recruiter for Ohio State's 2016 class, that would be a great sign that he’s solid in his pledge.

Regardless, Walker’s commitment to Meyer and his staff is a strong signal that the Buckeyes are on the cusp of building something special in Columbus.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.