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UNC Football: Mack Brown provides an update on Tez Walker

By Jordan Falls

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches his team warm up before the start of the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on October 08, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 08: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches his team warm up before the start of the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on October 08, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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UNC football coach Mack Brown spoke to the media on Tuesday after practice wrapped up and provided an update on Devontez Walker.

We are inching closer to kickoff, slowly, for UNC football as we are just 18 days away from the opening game in Charlotte on September 2, versus South Carolina. As was announced last week, the Tar Heels received bad news when it was announced Devontez ‘Tez’ Walker would be ineligible for the upcoming 2023 season.

Walker was a pre-season All-ACC selection and expected to be the top wide receiver for the Tar Heels this year, who will be looking to replace Antoine Green and Josh Downs, both of who are in the NFL now.

A week later, after the Tar Heels have been very public on social media with their disagreement with the NCAA’s decision and even had the North Carolina governor contact the NCAA, we still do not have an update on where Walker stands with NCAA. Brown did provide more quotes for the NCAA regarding the situation and what he hopes to see happen in the coming days/weeks…

"I’m banking on Charlie Baker. If we are changing, it’s time to change. And I’m banking on him stepping up and changing because it’s what’s best for this young man. It’s not about us. He is a good player. But if I say that I’m going to take care of every player and treat them like I’d want my son to be treated, that’s what I’m trying to do in this situation."

The Tar Heels are also pleading with the NCAA regarding Walker’s mental health revolving around the situation and how much of an impact this decision is having on him. The NCAA consistently claims they care about the mental health of their student-athletes yet never reach out to them personally, and Brown had some things to say about that as well.

"We have a committee that sits up there that never talks to Tez. Never talks to his grandmother, never talks to our doctors, never talks to the mental health people on our campus. Never talks to our chaplain, who Tez talks to every day."

The hope is that the NCAA will overturn the decision in Walker’s case, which UNC has filed an appeal, by the time September 2nd rolls around and the Tar Heels take the field against South Carolina in Charlotte. However, with the NCAA, there is never a timetable, and they will take as long (or as little) time as they like.

The NCAA has had much negativity surrounding it over the last several years and new NCAA President Charlie Baker has been brought in to help that image… this seems like a great place to start by letting a kid play who hasn’t broken any of the rules.

Needless to say, Tar Heel Nation certainly hopes that Walker is ruled eligible as he is expected to play a huge role in the UNC football program’s offense.

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