Uh Lewis, we will move on from pro to college and you've done some great reporting about North Carolina receiver Tez Walker and his eligibility. Uh, if you could quickly just walk us through where we're at and it looks like this week, we could very well get a decision on whether the NCAA will allow him to play during the 2023 season or not. Uh I want to turn the floor over to you because again, you've done some great reporting on this topic. So there's the issue with a lot of NCAA um with a lot of the appeals and things like that is there is not a set timeline, a set guideline like it, it is not. If you put in the appeal request here, you're going to hear an answer within three weeks. It's nothing like that. It, it's, it varies. The research has to be done all that kind of stuff. Um So really where things stand currently is where things have been standing. I know there were some reports that, um uh from II I, I'm sorry, I apologize. I forget who, who specifically put this out there last week towards the end of last week that the, the UN C football coaching staff was, um, you know, uh, hopeful that things would work out and that we could be hearing something soon. That's where things have been for, since the waiver was put out there. Um, you know, and it, it's tough because for, for those of you, I, I know there's been a little bit of pushback regarding the Te Walker situation and some people like, oh, of course, Un C wants, you know, wants more from this and of course they're gonna be like, you, you hear a lot of different people, you know, oh, what's different with this, you know, eligibility concern than other eligibility concerns in the past and blah, blah, blah. I think some of that just goes back to the fact that the NCAA I, I really, I really need the NCAA to get a hold of things. Um A lot of concerns can be said about the NCAA. I won't get into that right now. Um But with when with Tez's situation, right, it goes into the fact that he has, you go all the way back to his high school school has high school years. He signs with ETS U uh never makes it to campus because he tears his AC L and his signing is deferred. He eventually goes on to sign with NCCU. Uh but NCCU never plays football that season because of the covid-nineteen pandemic. So he transfers to Kent State. That is the argument that UN C is putting forward is that he has truly only played for one other team and that was Kent State. Um Also part of what UN C is saying is that the NCAA has put forward. Uh, it was back in early January saying, hey, we are going to really tap down on these two time transfers. Um, we don't want people essentially bopping from school to school to school, like it's some kind of free agency. Uh, but they put forward that note and Tez Walker had already enrolled at UN C three days to them, putting forward this note. So like, I don't know, it, it's, it's one of those things where logically, there's just not a whole lot of logic there that seems to make sense and apply. So what, what UN C football, what head coach Ma Brown has said is that they feel very good that when you lay the facts out, it just makes sense that Te Walker would be given immediate eligibility. Um, you know, and he's, he has emphasized a lot that he's like, hey, you know, obviously we want him to play because this matters for our football team. He would be the number one receiver on the team. Um, but he's like, it's, it's more of what, what he is going through and the issues that he is having. Um, there's, he's Matt Brown has brought up a lot of the mental health concerns. Um, saying that he did, this is really impacting him that he's just really kind of, um, at a loss just in general because of a variety of different reasons. Uh, his grandmother's health wanted to play in front of her. Um, he's from the Charlotte area originally. So this would be like a, you know, playing in your backyard thing. Um, with that Bank of America Stadium game, um, where they're playing South Carolina to start the season. Um, the first Saturday in September. So really, there's not a whole lot of development in this situation. UN c remains optimistic, um, that something will happen. But the, the main issue, the main concern is just the timeline. That's really what it boils down to because at this point, they've had this in for several weeks now. Uh, and, you know, we are, what, 2.5 weeks away, two weeks away from the start of the college football season. A little less than two weeks actually. Yeah, because their first game will be, uh, the first Saturday in September. We were recording this as of August 21st. Yeah, and UN C will play South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium on September 2nd. So a little less than two weeks. Um, and the last time, uh Matt Brown talked, uh to the media, he said, you know, that, uh Tez Walker is still, uh practicing with the ones he's still practicing as if he will be eligible to play. Um, so they, and like, and UN C has a good group of receivers to fall back on if Tez Walker is unable to play another transfer and Nate mccollum would be a good one. You've got some experience like Kobe Peso. Um, you know, JJ Jones, there, there are plenty of like really solid receivers on UN CS team, but Tez Walker is someone who can elevate solid. Great. Yeah, let me hop in here Lewis because we talked some off the pod last week about all of this. And I understand that Te Walker put up numbers at Kent State and my meatball take was like, oh, ok. I know this is at Kent State. I know he put up numbers there. But what about when he transfers to power five? You so kindly pointed out to me, you say Mark, he's on the Blini COV award preseason list at the receiver position. And for as excited as we are about Drake man, a potential Heisman campaign, you know what that potentially looks like if Tez Walker isn't granted the eligibility, I guess where I come down on this is this. It's like he never played uh for the first two schools he went to and it's like meanwhile across the road in Raleigh NC State has 1/7 year uh senior in uh Bradley Rosner at the receiver position. Now I understand he hasn't had as many transfers, but it's like, I know it's not a totally apples to apples comparison, but it's like if he's allowed to continue to play and if Walker put in his eligibility, uh, his transfer to UN C before the NCAA changed its policy, wouldn't it abide by the, the previous policy? And the old policy? That's kind of where I, where I fall with all of that and, and the big question you gotta ask yourself and you answered it pretty well. Lewis is if he's deemed ineligible by the NCAA, what this offense looks like without him on the field, what that does for what we're expecting for a big, big season from Drake Main and company from an offensive standpoint. Well, and my thing too is you can't, you can't, II I don't think it, it's right necessary for the NCAA to change a rule and put that rule into place immediately when there are a lot of situations that, you know, people have been in the process of figuring out where they're going have said they're gonna be transferring multiple times. I, I think personally, I think what the NCAA should have done is say, hey, we're gonna tighten down on these two time transfers starting at the end of this next transfer window, like at the, starting at the end of spring football because then you give people the opportunity to prepare accordingly. Um, you know, it, it's, and, and because the whole thing is right, what the NCAA doesn't want to have happening is where you, you have a lot of people going into the transfer portal who are looking for different positions and they don't want to be spending the time to review each, each situation on a case by case basis. That's a lot of time and effort that has to be put into it. But I just, I don't think that that's something you can get around because these are all different case by case situations. Um I don't know, I, I digress, I think it, it would be a shame. I think if Tez Walker is not allowed to play this upcoming season. Um, but I, I think, you know, more than anything, I just, the NCAA needs to kind of like come up with plans and stick with them. I understand it's a little bit of the wild west right now. Uh It's, it's, if I was a college athlete, it would be a very frustrating situation. Right. Let me say one other thing too is if he projects to play in the NFL, even if it's just to have a cup of coffee, Lewis, that is life changing money. That's significantly more, considerably more for most athletes than an nil deal. Right. So let's, we talked about, ok, the ramifications and the impact on Drake man, the offense this season, if he's not allowed to play, we don't know who the North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback is going to be in the 2024 season. We could guess we could, we could sm but if, if I'm Tez Walker and I want to showcase my ability to play for NFL Scouts, that will be at plenty of games in the 2023 season. I want Drake may as my quarterback, point blank period. I mean, no, it's, it's huge and I think if I'm like, that's, that's why you, you have receivers who are coming here to play at UN C um you know, and I think too, it's like I'm in like nine out of 10 situations. I am personally gonna side with the like you, you look at the facts and then if there's a bit of a toss up, I go with the athlete just because like it's a person versus like a giant organization in the NCAA. Um II, I don't know and I, I just, yeah, it's, it's a huge, the huge there are gonna be so many more eyes on. Um Tez Walker, if he were playing with Drake may as a quarterback if he's the number one receiver for a guy who's on a Heisman conversation. Um Yeah, so you're gonna potentially limit his ability to make money at the next level because look like one of the big questions I have this year. And yes, you mentioned a lot of the receivers on the tar heels roster, but I, I don't want to short change what Josh Downs did a season ago and Antoine Green did in May. Drake May for what we expect this season again where he's on, you know, Heisman preseason lists. Part of that is because of the, the play of his receivers from a season ago. If Tez Walker helps with that transition for this season, those are the stakes of what we're talking about. Lewis. Exactly. And, and that's one of the things that's brought up. Right is if, even if, if he has to sit out here, he'd still have two years of eligibility. Um, but once again, you don't like UN C has had a really good stretch here where they went, you know, Sam Howe to Drake May, there's no guarantee just like with like the Packers, right, they go from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. There's no guarantee that like Jordan Love is gonna be the guy. There's no guarantee that, you know, Connor Harrell, who, whoever that starting quarterback would be next year for UN C is gonna be the guy. So you wanna try and take advantage of your situation that you're in immediately. I, I want to say one other thing to, and I wanna go to the running back position for the tar heels really quickly, Lewis. Uh, we're like two weeks away from kickoff, we're getting closer and closer to the season, which I can't wait for British Brooks coming back for the tar heels. I know right now he's maybe what, second or third on the depth chart. I've seen this before with Mac Brown back in 2011 when I was a student at Mao Henry Josie, who was the big twelve's leading rush time went on to have an NFL career goes down for Missouri and I'd never seen this before. Matt Brown. We were playing in Texas. Comes over from the opposing sidelines to check on the running back. Torn AC L torn NCL, torn patella tendon wished him good luck. Two years later, Josie's back on the field in 2013, 1 of the S ECs leading rushers and then he went on to have an NFL career. I'm not saying British Brooks is gonna go on to the NFL, but when he gets his opportunity in his moment this season, he's gonna show up for the tar heels, whether that's a special team's role, whether that's his opportunities to carry the football whenever he gets them in a crowded running back room. But I wanna say this too. He was a player who represented the tar heels at the AC C kickoff a year ago when he gets back onto the field, uh or maybe two years back, but it's gonna be like 611 days since he was last on a football field, Lewis when he gets his opportunity for the tar heels this season. Keep your eye on British Brooks this season. I've seen this before. I, I am manifesting this now and we're gonna look back on this clip and be like, how, how did Mark know that? It's because I've seen it before with Mac Brown and his effect on saying, hey, we need to get this player back and someone who's a key member of this team, a few seasons back. British Brooks keep an eye on him. Lewis. Oh, yeah. And, and that's something that like Brown has said himself regarding like the running back room in general, they have a lot of really good players and they're going to identify, uh, you know, situationally who's good at what and you know, assess it accordingly and put them forward. So, uh yeah, I, I think British Brooks is very loved in that locker room and so it wouldn't surprise me to see him, you know, play a solid role this year as long as he stays healthy. Um Yeah, and I know I know for all everyone listening and watching, uh we have talked a lot about UN C football today, but remember we are less than two weeks from the start of the season, right? NC State playing uh not this Thursday, but next Thursday, uh UN C playing, not this Saturday, but next Saturday and then Duke playing two weeks from today on Labor Day against Clemson, next week on Triangle into we're gonna be talking a lot about all three teams previewing everything. It's gonna be a college football spectacular, really excited for. It's one of my favorite times of the year. Cannot wait. Lewis.