UNC’s Tez Walker won’t play in opener vs. South Carolina :: WRALSportsFan.com

By Brian Murphy, WRAL

North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker will not play in Saturday’s season-opening game against South Carolina in Charlotte, Tar Heels’ head coach Mack Brown announced Friday evening.

Walker, a transfer from Kent State and a preseason All-ACC selection, has not been cleared by the NCAA, which denied him immediate eligibility as a two-time transfer.

“We’re one day away from our highly-anticipated season opener against South Carolina, and unfortunately, Tez Walker remains ineligible,” Brown said in a statement.

Walker, from Charlotte, committed to East Tennessee State but suffered a knee injury and enrolled at NC Central, whose 2020 football season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker played two seasons at Kent State before transferring to North Carolina in the off-season. Walker, a junior, had 63 receptions for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons at Kent State.

He was expected to play a large role in UNC’s offense, which must replace its top two receivers from 2022 — Josh Downs (94 catches, 1,029 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Antoine Green (43 catches, 798 yards, seven touchdowns).

Brown said Walker should be considered a one-time transfer and eligible to play immediately.

“Our institution has been pushing for Tez’s case to be reviewed by the assigned committee, so that it could be heard prior to our first game,” Brown said. “But, the NCAA’s unwillingness to provide clarification over the last few weeks has left us in this position.”

On January 11, after Walker had enrolled at UNC, the NCAA Division I Council voted to tighten criteria for immediate eligibility waivers for undergraduate students who transfer a second time. The council includes a representative from each Division I conference and it voted unanimously. Multi-time transfers must demonstrate a personal need for medial or safety reasons to depart the previous school.

“I can’t express my disappointment in the NCAA strong enough,” Brown said. “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 about helping kids, but all they’ve done is add to the very mental health issues Tez has been dealing with that made him want to get closer to home to begin with.”

Gov. Roy Cooper got involved in the situation, writing a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker in early August.

Walker said he transferred to UNC to be closer to his ailing grandmother, who has never seen him play in person. Brown blasted the NCAA for its handling of the situation.

“You can’t say you’re about helping kids and then show a total disregard for the kids you’re supposed to be helping,” Brown said. “It’s clear they are about process and not people. Fortunately, the committee still has a chance to recommend a correction to this egregious error. We look forward to them…