Mack Brown reacts to NCAA decision to deny UNC transfer Tez Walker's eligibility for 2023
North Carolina was counting on wide receiver Tez Walker to be a big part of its offense in 2023. However, Walker has had his waiver denied for the upcoming season, UNC head coach Mack Brown announced Tuesday.
As things stand, Walker will be unable to suit up for the Tar Heels this year after transferring in from Kent State. UNC is reportedly appealing the decision.
According to reporter Michael Koh, Brown said that Walker enrolled at UNC under immediate eligibility rules in January. The rules then changed two days later, but Walker was not grandfathered in.
“We feel that this should be a no-brainer,” Brown reportedly said of Walker being eligible this season.
Tez Walker was one of three receivers named preseason All-ACC after transferring in from Kent State.
He was a star for the Golden Flashes last year, catching 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 11 touchdown catches tied for No. 7 nationally. Walker was also a first-team All-MAC selection last year.
North Carolina lost its star receiver off of last year’s team in Josh Downs, who was drafted by the Colts in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft. Walker was in line to be the top target for star quarterback Drake Maye in 2023 and was the favorite to replace Downs as the go-to receiver for Maye. However, it now appears as though he won’t be an option.
Mack Brown explains increased optimism around Drake Maye
Drake Maye had an incredible first year as a starter in 2022. Even without Walker, he should be in for another special season in 2023.
Even after a standout redshirt freshman campaign, UNC head coach Mack Brown believes Maye can go even higher than he did last year.
“Drake had a great year last year,” Brown said at ACC Media Days. “Best freshman year of any freshman I’ve ever seen. He just got better and better and better, and people didn’t realize until 10 days before the opening game, we didn’t announce Drake as a starter. So for him to take the role of leader and lead his football team like he did and be consistent each week, was pretty phenomenal.”
The shelf of Maye’s trophies from last year doesn’t have much open space on it. Maye won the following awards in 2022: ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year. He also earned first-team All-ACC honors.
For the season, Maye was 342 of 517 for 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns with only seven interceptions in 14 games. He was also great running the football for the Tar Heels, rushing the ball 184 times for 698 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
“After the season Drake came in to me and said, ‘Help me with these things, these are things I need to improve,’” Brown recalled. “That’s who he is. That’s why he is such a great player. He was raised in a family of champions. He was raised in a family of athletes. His dad was a great quarterback. So he is always looking at what I can do better instead of patting himself on the back. He is a little bit like me. We have to be careful with him because he is too hard on himself, and he is always ‘I didn’t do this right,’ well, let’s talk about what you did right too, so we can do that.”