After one season with the Tar Heels, Tez Walker is league-bound.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Walker in fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon. Walker became the third Tar Heel to hear his name called in this year’s draft, after quarterback Drake Maye was selected No. 3 overall in the first round by the New England Patriots and linebacker Cedric Gray was taken by the Tennessee Titans nine picks prior to Walker.

 

Despite a contentious eligibility battle with the NCAA regarding his transfer to Carolina which caused him to miss the first four games of the 2023 season, Walker ended the year as the Tar Heels’ top receiver. He led the team in receiving yards (699), yards per game (87.4), yards per catch (17) and touchdowns (seven) before sitting out the bowl game in December. He was named third team All-ACC.

“I’m so thankful to be in this position,” said Walker through a UNC statement. “At this point, pretty much everyone knows my story and how difficult it’s been, but seeing the joy on the faces of my family after the announcement makes everything worth it. I want to thank the Ravens for putting their faith in me. I’m going to work as hard as I can to make them look good.”

“We’re all so happy for Tez,” added UNC head coach Mack Brown. “He’s had an incredible journey to get to this point and to see all his perseverance pay off is really special. Tez is a great player, but he’s played so little football at this point that I truly believe his best days are ahead of him. I’m looking forward to seeing how his game continues to evolve as a member of the Ravens.”

“I also need to thank all of the people at Carolina,” Walker said. “They welcomed me with open arms, and when things weren’t going as we expected, they did everything within their power to help me. I’ll be forever grateful for their efforts. On the football side, I want to thank all of the coaches, teammates and support staff who have been with me during my journey. Now, it’s time to move forward and I can’t wait to get to Baltimore and get started with my professional career.”

Before coming to Carolina, Walker was a standout player at Kent State, where he caught 11 touchdowns as a sophomore and earned first team All-MAC honors. Originally from Charlotte, Walker first enrolled at North Carolina Central in 2020, but never appeared in a game after the Eagles cancelled their season due to the COVID pandemic.

Walker is now the 19th wide receiver selected and the 254th Tar Heel chosen from the UNC Football program in the NFL Draft.

The 2024 NFL Draft runs through Saturday in Detroit.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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