Jay Nelson is an example of a walk on. He showed up on campus and asked the coaches for a tryout and eventually became a starter.
Devin Coyle is a freshman safety and was a preferred walk on from Mandan. Preferred walk ons participate in fall camp and often earn a scholarship.
School start walk ons rarely last a full five years and proffered walk ons are much more likely to be retained.
School start guys are either projects with raw potential like Jay or bodies to fill the scout team and work hard and sometimes earn playing time.
A solid walk on program is a staple of a successful program. Und and ndsu have good walk on programs, Nebraska has one of the best.