UNC football is dealing with the fallout of the NCAA's questionable ruling on wideout Tez Walker's eligibility for the 2023 season.
Drake Maye's top rumored target in 2023, Devontez "Tez" Walker, may not actually see the field at all.
Wide receiver Tez Walker transferred to UNC on January 9, his second transfer of his college career. However, the NCAA revised its two-time transfer rule two days later, on January 11, and under the new rules, Walker wasn't deemed eligible to play for the Tar Heels.
UNC is reportedly appealing the ruling.
Walker was initially set to play for East Tennessee State out of high school, but an ACL injury put him on the shelf for a year. He decommitted from ETSU and enrolled at North Carolina Central for the 2020 season, where he yet again had to delay his college football career due to COVID-19.
After settling at Kent State and getting some experience under his belt, Walker transferred to the Tar Heels ahead of his junior season, arriving to North Carolina with what he thought were two remaining years of college eligibility. He had to request a waiver to play this season since he's a second-time transfer who hasn't graduated. Earlier this week, the NCAA denied his waiver, throwing his eligibility into question.
UNC receivers coach Lonnie Galloway described how Walker took the news:
"[Walker] leaned his head on my shoulder and started crying. And I'm like, 'What's going on?' He said, 'Coach, I hope I get to play football. I did everything that I was supposed to do.' And that's part of the struggle that he's dealing with, and the mental part of it for him."
UNC football top transfer Tez Walker is denied eligibility
It's a bad look for the NCAA, who make out to be the villains in the fight for Walker's future Tar Heels career.
Walker, a first team all-MAC selection at Kent State last season, chose to transfer from Kent State to UNC to live closer to his ailing grandmother and is understandably feeling the stress of the NCAA's ruling.
"I want this to be over. I want to stop feeling like this. I just want to play. I want my grandmother to come watch me. I want to be a student and an athlete and I hope those in charge give me that opportunity."
His arrival at UNC was met with widespread excitement as Walker was picked as a Preseason All-ACC selection despite not having played a snap in the league. He was also named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List and was already touted to become UNC quarterback Drake Maye's most reliable outside receiver.
Amid the realignment chaos in college football, fans are finding one more reason to hate on the NCAA after what feels like a viciously unfair ruling. Not only is Walker being deemed ineligible to play based on rules that weren't even in place at the time of his transfer, but the NCAA doesn't appear to be willing to make an exception for Walker's special circumstances.
Walker and his new teammates will anxiously await the results of UNC's appeal before the season begins on September 2 against South Carolina.