After gathering information from the NFL, North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL, as he has accepted an invitation to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February.

The Senior Bowl previously announced all underclassmen who submit their names for the NFL Draft are eligible. The prior rule was limited to seniors or fourth-year players with remaining eligibility but had graduated and submitted their names to the draft.

Walker, whom sources around the program initially didn’t expect to enter, and who gave indication to THI last week he was returning, spent one season with the Tar Heels. It was a challenging one, to say the least, as well.

A transfer last winter from Kent State, Walker didn’t play in Carolina’s first four games, as he was waiting and hoping to be cleared by the NCAA to play for the Tar Heels. UNC Coach Mack Brown made the situation public in August and continued an aggressive drumbeat with the media to gain public support for Walker, which was successful.

The outpouring by teammates, fans, and those with no direct interest in UNC galvanized to support Walker, who was eventually cleared before Carolina’s fifth game of the season, which was a 40-7 victory over Syracuse.

He caught six passes for 43 yards that day.

“Really happy for Tez Walker that he got back on the field...,” Brown said that evening. “The young man is living his dream... an unbelievable night for him and one that he will remember for the rest of his life.”

Walker was overwhelmed with emotion when he learned the NCAA approved his waiver. He started believing it might not happen.

“I was at a point where I thought there was no chance I was going to get cleared,” Walker said following the Syracuse game.

Walker then exploded the next two weeks, catching six passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Miami, and then grabbing 11 passes for 146 yards and a score in a loss to Virginia.

On the season, Walker finished with a team-leading 41 receptions for 699 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Senior Bowl is February 3, 2024, in Mobile, AL. UNC linebacker Cedric Gray will also play in the game.