Extra Points: Highs & Lows

By Lee Pace

One week into August training camp, the Carolina football team is trying to channel that squad that climbed to 9-1 and No. 11 in the nation by mid-November of last fall. You remember the Drake-for-Heisman conversations and the Tar Heels speculated as potential College Football Playoff spoilers. How sweet it was.

"We got on our high horse a little bit after clinching the Coastal against Wake," QB Drake Maye says of the Tar Heels high of beating Wake Forest to clinch the ACC Coastal title the second Saturday in November and the ensuing low of a four-game losing skid to end the year. "And then from there we kind of lost the close games we should have won. That put a sour taste in our mouth heading into this year. But we've got a chance to delete that, clear that from our memory, and start out hot in Charlotte."

Charlotte is now 23 days away, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks positioned for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in the season opener in Bank of America Stadium. Mack Brown, entering year five of Mack 2.0 of Carolina football, his players and staff resolutely believe that team knocking on the Top 10's door was no fluke. With some personnel and schematic adjustments on both sides of the ball, the Tar Heels are intent in 2023 of a strong start and an electric finish.

The marquee players are doing what they do—Maye launching bullseyes to his receivers, an abundance of riches at tailback slicing up shares of playing time, Cedric Gray and Power Echols sniffing out the football and handing out Excedrin headaches across the field.

The players who dropped by the wayside with injuries or eligibility issues in 2022 are back and snorting out the nostrils to get back into the fray—Tomari Fox a load at nose guard with the imposing "zero" digit on his jersey, Des Evans' dreadlocks swooshing in the wind as he speed-rushes the quarterback, British Brooks and his steely resolve back at tailback after a knee injury, Sebastian Cheek's shoulder mended after missing his freshman season and him now available to add much needed depth at linebacker.

There are freshmen to absorb – Amare Campbell at linebacker, Tayon Holloway at cornerback, Chris Culliver at wide receiver – just a few of the highly regarded freshmen poking their heads into depth chart mix.

And there is the transfer portal harvest, an area that Brown and his staff have proven adept at managing with the additions over the last two years of tailback Ty Chandler, center Corey Gaynor and outside linebacker Noah Taylor. This year Amari Gainer brings a high motor on the defensive edge from Florida State, Alijah Huzzie innate ball skills to cornerback, Nate McCollum great hands and quick feet to the slot receiver, and Devontez Walker plenty of length and tenacity to reel in 50-50 balls as an outside receiver.

"We're an older team, we have more depth at most positions," Brown says. "We're leaner across the board. We don't have as many heavy guys. We move around better. All of the pieces are here to be good. It's up to us as coaches to put them in the right place and get them to play to the level they can."

What had been a routine first week of August training camp encountered a bump on Tuesday when Brown stood before the news media after practice and announced that Walker has been denied his immediate eligibility waiver. The NCAA has cited the "multi-time transfer" rule established to prevent players from shopping every spring for a better opportunity and that Carolina would be Walker's third school after spending time at N.C. Central and Kent State.

But context and extenuating circumstances cast the story a significantly different light. Walker, who grew up in Charlotte and has a grandmother who raised him there, was originally scheduled to go to East Tennessee St. But, a torn ACL led to deferred enrollment and a year of rehabbing on his own. He moved to NCCU and never played in 2020 because of Covid-19; then finally found some stability at Kent State in 2021, catching 63 balls for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns over two years. Then, the Golden Flash coaching staff was turned upside down. Already feeling a draw to be closer to his ailing grandmother and family, Walker felt this was the right time to start anew closer to home. He decided to enter the portal, was offered a scholarship at UNC and enrolled in early January—everyone involved believing eligibility would never be an issue.

"When he transferred we thought it was an absolute no-brainer," Brown said. "He fits every reason that transfers should be eligible. He was not jumping from one place to another because of playing time."

Brown added that the university has appealed the decision and is hopeful it will be overturned. Walker made As and Bs at Kent State and did as well during the spring semester at Carolina.

"It's the right thing to do," Brown said.

Receivers coach Lonnie Galloway jumped at the chance to add Walker to the roster last winter, knowing that the premier outside receiver from 2022, Antoine Green, was graduating.

"Tez is a great player," Galloway says. "His film was unbelievable. He's long, tall, can run, he catches the ball well, he picks up an offense very well."

Galloway noticed lethargic body language from Walker when camp opened last week, and one day after practice he pressed Walker on what was bothering him. Finally Walker broke down in tears and unloaded that he was worried he wouldn't be eligible.

"He's an upbeat guy, I knew something was wrong," Galloway says. "All he wants to do is play football. He did everything right."

Walker speaks of the stress of playing far enough from home that his grandmother can't see him play, of the misfortune of an injury, Covid and a coaching change altering the landscape around him, things beyond his control that added to the "mental anguish."

"I want this to be over," Walker says. "I want to stop feeling like this. I just want to play. I want my grandmother to come watch me. I want to be a student and an athlete and I hope those in charge give me that opportunity."

Ironically, the story broke 24 hours after the UNC Communications staff distributed a news release saying Walker had been added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top receiver in college football each year. They also posted a graphic on Instagram of Walker in a crouched, athletic position, fists cliched and mouth wide open, ostensibly a guttural cry coming from Walker's throat over the prospects for the coming season.

For the moment, Galloway will still send Walker out with the first team, and everyone involved hopes there's much to smile about as Charlotte and the Gamecocks loom just over the horizon.

Chapel Hill writer Lee Pace (Carolina '79) begins his 34th season writing about Tar Heel football under the "Extra Points" banner. Look for his columns throughout the season. Write him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.

Players Mentioned

British Brooks

Amare Campbell

Chris Culliver

Power Echols

Tomari Fox

Amari Gainer

Corey Gaynor

Cedric Gray

Antoine Green

Tayon Holloway

Alijah Huzzie

Drake Maye

Nate McCollum

Noah Taylor

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