OWINGS MILLS, Md. — There was a point last season when Devontez Walker, sidelined amid a contentious dispute with the NCAA, was weighing some unpleasant options.
“I thought my season was done, honestly. I was on the scout team, I was thinking, I was just trying to work on my craft. The whole year, I had no idea that I was going to play at all,†Walker said. “I was 50-50 on declaring for the draft.â€
It would have been a risk to declare for the draft after missing an entire season, and Walker suspects that in the end, he probably would have stayed at North Carolina, but ultimately he didn't have to worry about it. Walker was eventually cleared to play for the Tar Heels, and after eight productive games, he entered the draft and was picked in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens.
Walker's college career was a bit of an odyssey. He was originally going to play at East Tennessee State, but he injured his knee and deferred enrollment. He ended up going to North Carolina Central, but the Eagles didn't play because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker finally played two seasons at Kent State, but after he transferred to North Carolina, the NCAA initially denied him immediate eligibility, treating him as a two-time transfer.
People are also reading…
That wasn't the end of it, however. Tar Heels coach Mack Brown released an unusually strident statement excoriating the decision, and the NCAA Board of Directors said committee members received threats of violence. The NCAA eventually reversed course and granted Walker's waiver in early October.
Now NCAA athletes can play immediately no matter how many times they transfer. The Division I Board of Directors ratified that change last month, after a federal judge had issued an injunction to that effect.
Walker no longer has to worry about the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics. He caught 41 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns at North Carolina, and now he's the latest receiver drafted by the Ravens to be a potential playmaker for star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Los Angeles Chargers signed wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. on Monday.
Receiver Chark Jr. signs with Chargers
COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers added some depth to their wide receiver room by signing DJ Chark Jr. on Monday.
Chark had 35 receptions for 525 yards with Carolina last season, and led the team with five receiving touchdowns. He was a second-round pick by Jacksonville in 2018 and spent four seasons with the Jaguars before going to Detroit in 2022.
Chark's best season was in 2019, when he had 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns.
Wide receiver remains a work in progress for the Chargers after they released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen to Chicago in March. They drafted Ladd McConkey in the second round along with Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson in the seventh round.
Joshua Palmer is the most experienced player in the group, entering his fourth year, while Quentin Johnston, last year’s first-round pick, struggled in his rookie season.
Texans' McNair says Dell will make 'full recovery' after shooting
HOUSTON — Texans owner Cal McNair said Monday that receiver Tank Dell will make a “full recovery†after he was wounded in a shootout at a Florida restaurant last month.
McNair did not provide details on the nature of Dell's injury, but the team called it a “minor wound†the day after the April 27th shooting, which also injured nine others.
Speaking before the team’s annual charity golf classic, McNair called the situation “frightening†before providing an update on Dell.
“It looks like Tank will make a full recovery,†he said. “We saw him in the office the other day and he looked good, in good spirits. But he’ll have to rehab and get back to where he was.â€
Coach DeMeco Ryans was cagey when asked about Dell, refusing to directly answer the question when asked if he expected him to be ready for Week 1.
