Report: Tez Walker to have appeal meeting with committee, practicing like 'he'll play' for UNC this week

North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker will practice like he will play this coming weekend as he has an appeal meeting with the committee Thursday, per Pat Welter of WRAL.

“Tez Walker has his appeal meeting with the committee Thursday morning,” Welter wrote on Twitter. “Mack Brown says he will practice this week like he will play. #unc #UNCommon.”

The Tar Heels’ wide receiver has been denied eligibility this season due to his second transfer. Although, having two tracers was a contested statement from Walker.

In the offseason, Walker was a big get in the transfer portal by Brown and North Carolina. Unfortunately, he was in street clothes and had to watch the season opening win over South Carolina on the sideline.

“He really didn’t handle it well during the week,” Brown said of Walker postgame. “He struggled in practice. I don’t know if he would have played well, if he had played. There’s so much pressure on him. It’s a life’s dream to play at Carolina. It’s a life’s dream to play at Charlotte against South Carolina. Family members have 30 tickets and he doesn’t get to play, and he gets told the day the day before the game.”

On Friday, the committee overlooking Walker’s transfer waiver denied his eligibility request. Walker began his career at North Carolina Central but didn’t ever play for the program due to Covid-19. Walker transferred to Kent State, where he played two seasons before transferring to North Carolina this offseason.

Although Walker wasn’t granted eligibility in time to contribute to North Carolina’s opening effort, the Tar Heels aren’t giving up yet.

“Another committee will look at it next week on Thursday,” Brown said. “He’s got to sit here and wait until Thursday to see if he can play. And we’ve got to practice him and try to help him get through this. We didn’t even want to leave him by himself last night. He said, ‘Can I go home?’ And we said, ‘No, you need to stay here and be with us and be around the team.’”

Brown has adamantly supported Walker through his tumultuous transfer process. Per reporter Michael Koh, Brown said at the time the waiver was denied that Walker enrolled at UNC under immediate eligibility rules in January. The rules then changed two days later, but Walker was not grandfathered in.

Grant Grubbs contributed to this report