The war is officially on.

And Kareem Walker, the No. 1 running back in the 2016 class who verbally committed to Ohio State, is at the center of it.

The five-star tailback made news when he took a trip to Ann Arbor last weekend for the Wolverines’ 38-0 drubbing of Northwestern. Walker said he was accompanying his teammate, Quayshon Alexander, who is verbally committed to Nebraska.

Michigan recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge shot off a subtle quote on Tuesday that appeared to be in reference to Walker’s recruitment.

Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford may as well have sent a direct message to Partridge.

There were rumors that surfaced that Urban Meyer threatened to pull the offer if Walker made any other official visits, though nothing was confirmed on that front.

All we know is that Walker considers Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers — another five-star New Jersey recruit — like a “big brother,” and that Michigan made quite the in-person impression on Saturday.

“That was definitely an impressive win,” Walker told the Detroit Free Press. “It was, basically, the I-formation and pro-style. That’s really what I run in high school. That’s the main set, with the two backs, two wide receivers and one tight end. I really know the plays that they were calling, and they were doing a good job of mixing it up, letting the running back run, letting the fullback run and doing play action. I really knew the offense because of what I do now.”

For what it’s worth, Walker hasn’t said anything public on playing at anywhere but Ohio State. Whether or not he sticks to his original commitment remains to be seen.