Tez Walker has been officially ruled out for North Carolina’s season opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks tomorrow night. What does this mean for the Tar Heels’ chances? And what about Walker’s season? Let’s dive in.
Tez Walker
For those who don’t know, Walker is a 22-year-old Wide Receiver from Charlotte, North Carolina. After a season at North Carolina Central, Walker transferred to Kent State where he made a name for himself. Walker played two seasons at Kent State, the most notable coming in 2022 when Walker had 58 receptions for 921 yards with 11 touchdowns. Walker was rewarded by being named to the All-MAC team.
Growing up in North Carolina, Walker’s dream was to play for the University of North Carolina. After his breakout season, that dream came true after a visit with Mack Brown in Chapel Hill Walker officially announced his decision to transfer. With Quarterback Drake Maye preparing for a Heisman trophy campaign, all the chips seemed in place to set up a record-breaking North Carolina offense.
Trouble in Paradise?
With this being Walker’s second transfer of school, the NCAA, despite support from many, denied Walker’s waiver request to be immediately eligible. This may seem outlandish to Tar Heel fans, but according to CBS’ Jon Rothstein, the NCAA has actually denied 82% of players trying to make their second transfer.
What’s surprising about this situation is Walker’s appeal is taking longer than normal. The Tar Heels are ruling Walker out only for the South Carolina game because they simply are uncertain about what the verdict is going to be. This is not only unfair to Walker, but also to a Tar Heel team trying to prepare for a season where expectations are high.
The Tar Heels play a good South Carolina Gamecock team on a neutral site tomorrow night, and, at least for now, will be without an extremely talented wide receiver. Their offense is still loaded with skill-position players, and they should be able to survive in the short term. But clarity on the situation will only benefit them. Hopefully, this mess will get sorted out soon.
