As North Carolina prepares to open their season against South Carolina this weekend in the Battle of the Carolinas, it appears that Preseason All-ACC wide receiver Tez Walker will not be suiting up for the Tar Heels, due to not yet being ruled eligible after transferring earlier this offseason.
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown released a statement on Friday, putting the NCAA on blast. Brown said, among other things, “I can’t express my disappointment in the NCAA strong enough. The NCAA has been reluctant to consider the real issues of mental health, COVID, and rule changes that have impacted Tez’s personal journey. They say they’re all about helping kids, but all they’ve done is add to the mental health issues Tez has been dealing with”
After originally committing to North Carolina Central for the 2020 season, Walker transferred to Kent State for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the latter of which found him on the All-MAC first team following the conclusion of the season. The Charlotte native then decided to transfer again, this time to the Tar Heels, where he has yet to be ruled eligible.
With the ever-changing landscape of college football making the individual players seem less important than ever, it’s refreshing to see a veteran coach like Brown take the NCAA to task on this.
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