UNC WR Tez Walker heads to Senior Bowl, NFL
Posted December 8, 2023 8:10 a.m. EST
Updated December 11, 2023 6:43 p.m. EST
North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker, whose eligibility fight with the NCAA made national headlines, is going to the NFL after one partial season with the Tar Heels.
The Senior Bowl announced that Walker has accepted an invitation to play in the all-star game for NFL prospects. The game is Feb. 3 in Mobile, Ala.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Walker had 41 catches for 699 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games for UNC. Walker, a transfer from Kent State, had three 100-yard games and quickly became a key part of the UNC offense after the NCAA allowed him to play. He earned second-team All-ACC honors.
North Carolina (8-4) plays West Virginia (8-4) in the Dec. 28 Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, Walker's hometown. Walker will not play in the game, UNC announced.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, along with attorneys general in six other states, filed a lawsuit Thursday against the NCAA over its transfer eligibility rule. Stein said it was Walker's case that led him to dig into the NCAA's rules regarding two-time undergraduate transfers.
North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray, NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, Duke defensive lineman Dewayne Carter and Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton have also accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl. All were first-team All-ACC selections with Wilson earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Wake Forest defensive backs Malik Mustapha and Caelen Carson are also on the Senior Bowl roster.
