North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker won’t be able to suit up for the Tar Heels in 2023. On Thursday, Walker had his appeal heard in hopes of getting it reversed and granting him eligibility for the rest of the season. But the NCAA denied it for a second time, meaning Walker is now ineglible for the rest of the season.
It’s a disappointing result for the Tar Heels and Walker as they had hopes of getting the receiver eligible. Walker transferred from Kent State on December 20th ahead of the new rule change by the NCAA but was denied eligibility for the upcoming season, as Brown announced on August 8th that the NCAA had made a decision.
Per Inside Carolina, Walker spoke in front of a panel Thursday via a video call.
Head coach Mack Brown released a statement on the decision:
We’re absolutely crushed to learn that Tez Walker’s eligibility has been denied for this season and he won’t be able to play. I don’t know that I’ve ever been more disappointed in a person, a group of people, or an institution than I am with the NCAA right now. It’s clear that the NCAA is about process and it couldn’t care less about the young people it’s supposed to be supporting. Plain and simple, the NCAA has failed Tez and his family and I’ve lost all faith in its ability to lead and govern our sport. They’ve messed so many things up as it relates to college football, and now their failures have negatively impacted the life of one of our own. Just imagine what it is like for Tez to be so excited to come home and have a chance to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for North Carolina in front of all of his family and friends, only to have it taken away despite doing nothing wrong. I can’t begin to understand how this has happened. The decision makers at the NCAA and on the committee should be ashamed of themselves for doing this to a young man. As has been clearly documented, Tez should be eligible for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the mental health issues he’s faced during his time in college. And with this decision, the NCAA has placed an unnecessary burden on him. He’s had a rough go of it and this will surely only make it worse. How dare they ever speak about mental health and student-athlete welfare again. We’ve got complete rosters overhauled through the transfer portal, players playing in their 8th year of college, players playing at their fourth school, and the list goes on. Yet, Tez Walker, who has only played football at one school, isn’t eligible. It makes no sense and it never will.
Moving forward, our Carolina family is strong and we need to wrap our arms around Tez, lift him up, and make sure we continue to do all we can to support him. He’s continued to work, on the field and off, and remained an amazing member of our program throughout this ordeal. I know that will continue to happen because that’s the kind of person he is. Despite this setback, Tez’s future remains bright and we’ll continue to do everything we can to help him fulfill all of his dreams.
Shame on you, NCAA. SHAME ON YOU!
Walker is coming off a season in which he was named to the All-MAC first team at Kent State. He’s considered by some analysts to be a top 50 prospect in the 2024 NFL draft.
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