Tag: ncaa eligibility

On Tuesday, it came to light that the NCAA has denied waivers for a pair of ACC transfers.

North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker, who transferred to Chapel Hill after spending time at NC Central and Kent State, was denied his waiver. The reason Walker transferred to North Carolina over other programs that recruited him out of the transfer portal was due to his ailing grandmother. Walker is a Charlotte, North Carolina native, cutting his once seven-and-a-half-hour drive from Kent State to Charlotte down to just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Chapel Hill.

Also worth noting is that while beginning his career at NC Central, Walker could not play in his true freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately for Walker and the Tar Heels, the NCAA, despite his reasons for transferring a second time before being a graduate transfer, was not a good enough reason. North Carolina is planning on appealing the NCAA’s decision. Before being ruled ineligible, numerous outlets named Walker a preseason All-ACC selection, and was selected to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

In a similar situation, Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson, who transferred into the program from Miami this offseason, was also denied eligibility on a hardship waiver. Before transferring to Florida State, Jackson began his career at Maryland before moving over to Miami in 2021.

However, due to his mother’s medical condition, Jackson transferred a second time this offseason, choosing Florida State to be closer to home. Jackson is a native of Havana, Florida, just a 30-minute drive to Tallahassee. Florida State will also try to appeal the denied waiver.