UNC football receiver Tez Walker granted immediate NCAA eligibility. Here’s why

The NCAA has reversed course on a high-profile eligibility case surrounding Devontez “Tez” Walker, a wide receiver at North Carolina, the organization announced Thursday.

In an abrupt reversal of a ruling it made earlier this season, the NCAA said Thursday that Walker would be immediately eligible to play for the Tar Heels as soon as this weekend against Syracuse. Walker initially was ruled ineligible for the 2023 season by the NCAA as a two-time undergraduate transfer.

The NCAA said it had received “new information” from UNC regarding Walker’s situation that led to the decision to grant a waiver and make him eligible. The NCAA did not provide specifics about that information, citing Walker’s right to privacy on “sensitive issues.”

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham, while happy Walker now is eligible, questioned the NCAA’s explanation on the reversal.

“The justification provided by the NCAA today is not accurate,” Cunningham said in a statement. “The University submitted all necessary information and documentation as it was made available to us at the time, and we still believe Tez met all standards for the waiver in early August. It is not clear why the NCAA delayed making the correct decision then, but we are pleased to get to the appropriate resolution now.”

Walker, a transfer to UNC from Kent State, was initially ruled ineligible this season as a two-time transfer. UNC then requested a waiver that would make him immediately eligible this season, citing he had played college football only for Kent State, but the NCAA denied the waiver.

Walker, who enrolled at UNC in January, has been practicing with the Tar Heels and on the sideline during games but unable to play. UNC fans at Kenan Stadium broke into “Free Tez Walker!” chants at home games and his teammates often wore his jersey — No. 9 — after games to show their support.

“We’re so happy for Tez,” UNC coach Mack Brown said in a statement. “Everything that’s transpired over the last few months has been with the sole purpose of helping and supporting him, and now he’s going to have a chance to live his dream.”

Cooper, Stein urge NCAA to reconsider

Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein were among those who sent letters to the NCAA urging it reconsider a waiver and make Walker eligible.

Stein said he wrote the NCAA on Sept. 26, saying the decision to deny eligibility “likely violated federal and state antitrust laws.”

The NCAA’s written reply to Stein’s letter, in part, said: “As you know, the NCAA’s transfer policies have faced legal challenge over the years, only to be upheld by the applicable court. These policies have been made with the student-athlete interests in mind. Although it is the membership’s right to seek policy change, litigation to eliminate a national transfer policy would seem to be an overreach in North Carolina and indeed not in the interests of the rest of the Division I membership in every other state.”

Stein, in an interview Thursday, said he worked in conjunction with Walker’s lawyers after first contacting Charles Marshall, UNC general counsel. Stein said he would have been “supportive” had any legal action been taken by Walker against the NCAA, saying he believed it would have been a “very strong claim” had Walker filed an action.

Walker, in a statement, said he was looking forward to “putting this in the past and moving forward.”

“I always knew UNC was a special place, but it’s proved it over and over again throughout the last few months,” Walker said.

Walker also received assistance from five Triangle-based lawyers: Elliot Abrams and Hart Miles from Cheshire, Parker and Schneider as well as Chris Graebe, Swain Wood and Will Graebe of Morningstar Law Group. They said they worked with Stein and UNC’s lawyers to “correct the injustice” of Walker’s initial ineligibility.

“We could not be more pleased that Tez will be competing this season,” the lawyers said in a statement. “The NCAA’s decision to grant Tez’s eligibility is unquestionably the correct decision under any reasonable review of the evidence.”

The ruling should end what has been a contentious situation between the NCAA and UNC. After the NCAA’s Committee for Legislative Relief denied an appeal on Walker’s eligibility, Brown made some scathing remarks, including “Shame on you, NCAA. SHAME ON YOU!”

The NCAA, in an unusual move, quickly released a statement saying UNC’s public protests had resulted in dangerous threats against committee members.

While ruling Walker eligible, the NCAA continued to condemn UNC’s public statements. NCAA president Charlie Baker and Georgia president Jere Morehead, the Division I board of directors chair, issued a release Thursday that said:

“UNC’s behavior and decision to wage a public relations campaign is inappropriate and outside the bounds of the process UNC’s own staff supported. Had the UNC staff not behaved in such a fashion and submitted his information weeks ago, the entire unfortunate episode could have been avoided.”

UNC chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, in a statement Thursday, said he was “elated” by the NCAA ruling.

“UNC provided all available information at every step of the process,” the statement said. “I want to thank everyone at Carolina who worked in support of Tez. In our stated effort to exhaust all avenues, new information about this matter came to our attention and we immediately gathered and submitted it for consideration.”

Tez Walker’s story

Walker, from Charlotte, transferred to UNC after last season to be closer to his ailing grandmother, who lives in Charlotte. While it was his second collegiate transfer, he had played football only at Kent State, where he spent the past two seasons.

Walker enrolled at UNC on Jan. 9. Two days later, the NCAA altered its rules on transfers, making it tougher for athletes who have transferred more than once during their college careers to be instantly eligible and not have to sit out a year.

The NCAA said an athlete transferring for a second time needed a “demonstrated physical injury or illness or mental health condition” to qualify for a waiver and gain immediate eligibility.

Walker first looked to play at East Tennessee State in 2019 but suffered a knee injury before his enrollment. Walker then enrolled at N.C. Central, which canceled its 2020 schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was on to Kent State. When Walker’s head coach and offensive coordinator left after the 2022 season, Walker entered the transfer portal, believing he would be eligible to play this season. Kent State supported his efforts to play for UNC this season.

Walker, a former prep standout at West Charlotte High, was named to the preseason All-ACC team after catching 58 passes for 921 yards last season at Kent State.

Now, Walker has a chance to live up to the preseason accolades.

“Whether it was people trying to pick me up on social media or fans chanting for me at the games, I’ve felt supported and I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me.” Walker said in the statement. “I can’t wait to put on that jersey, run out of the tunnel, and play in Kenan Stadium. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time and now it will be a reality. See everyone on Saturday.”

This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 1:25 PM with the headline "UNC football receiver Tez Walker granted immediate NCAA eligibility. Here’s why."