UNC wide receiver Devontez “Tez” Walker received the final ruling on his 2023 eligibility on Thursday, as an NCAA committee voted against his waiver to play after transferring from Kent State this offseason.

The pre-season All-ACC junior and Charlotte native played two seasons with the Golden Flashes after leaving NC Central in 2020, as the Eagles did not have a football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA, however, passed a rule change in January limiting players to just one transfer with immediate eligibility effective for the 2023-24 athletic season — approving the measure two days after Walker had enrolled and begun preparation to play at UNC.

The UNC football program announced the NCAA’s ruling on social media Thursday afternoon, sharing head coach Mack Brown’s displeasure with the ruling and Walker being ineligible for the rest of 2023.

The ruling quickly drew sharp reactions from many others on social media. Some of Walker’s teammates, including Kaimon Rucker, J.J. Jones, and Elijah Green, let their thoughts be known about the NCAA’s process.

Some social media users, including media members, reacted to UNC’s statements in tandem with the ruling. ESPN’s Jay Bilas seemed to echo the sentiment shared by UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, while others shared surprise at the strength of Brown’s statement, in which the Hall of Famer said he “lost all faith in [the NCAA’s] ability to lead and govern our sport.”

Unsurprisingly, many UNC fans and college football community members weighed in heavily against the ruling as well, continuing to either poke fun at the NCAA or criticize college sports’ governing body.

 

 

Photo via AP Photo/Chris Seward.

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