NCAA denies eligibility waivers for Florida State DT Darrell Jackson, North Carolina WR Devontez Walker

The move comes after the governing body voted in March to restrict the number of waivers granted

The NCAA denied immediate eligibility waivers for Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson and North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker Tuesday. The decision comes after governing body voted in March to restrict the number of waivers granted to second-time transfers in an attempt to curb the swelling numbers in the transfer portal. Both schools plan to appeal the decision.

The NCAA grants every player a one-time transfer without the loss of eligibility, but a second transfer requires a player to sit out a year barring a waiver. 

Under the new guidelines the a second-time transfer player can only receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school. The NCAA does also consider "exigent circumstances" that could force a player to leave an institution -- like sexual assault or abuse. No other factors are considered, including academic considerations or playing time.

Jackson started his college career at Maryland in 2021, transferred to Miami in 2022 and Florida State this past offseason. He applied for the hardship waiver, citing the need to be closer to his mother, who has a persistent medical condition. 

"He came home for a reason," Florida State coach Mike Norvell told 247Sports. "And to be there with his mom, I thought all things that were shown and presented, but the NCAA, they have a choice of what they're gonna do and obviously the decision that they made."

Walker started his college career at NC Central but transferred to Kent State after the 2020 season was canceled because of COVID-19. He spent two seasons with the Golden Flashes before transferring to North Carolina. He never played in a game at NC Central but his enrollment at the school started his NCAA eligibility clock. Walker cited the need the need to be close to his grandmother, who is dealing with health issues, as the reason for his transfer to Florida State. 

"(My grandmother) took care of me when I was younger and being away from her and the rest of my family was very challenging and hard to deal with," Walker said in a statement released to the media. "It's meant the world to us to be in the same area, where she's just a short drive away and I have far more opportunities to be with her. There is also the added bonus that she would be able to see me play college football in person for the first time, since she wasn't able to travel during my time at Kent St." 

What this means for Florida State

Jackson was one of the best players available in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings. He was the No. 69 overall player and the No. 7 player at his position. He has appeared in 25 games with 12 starts. This past season at Miami, he recorded 27 tackles (4.5 TFL) and three sacks. 

He was expected to make an impact as a space eater and run stopper next to star edge rusher Jared Verse. The Seminoles were counting on him to join -- and potentially headline -- a solid interior rotation of Fabien Lovett, Braden Fiske (a fellow transfer), and Joshua Farmer. 

Florida State finished with the No. 6 transfer portal haul, beefing up on defense in particular with CB Fentrell Cypress, DL Braden Fiske, CB Sam McCall, edge Gilber Edmond and Jackson. 

The Seminoles come into the season with lofty expectations. They have one of the top quarterbacks in the country returning in Jordan Travis. Florida State ranked No. 8 in the Coaches' Poll, the highest of any ACC team. 

What this means for North Carolina

Walker ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings. Last season at Kent State he caught 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns. Walker has two seasons of eligibility remaining. 

Losing a receiver of Walker's caliber would be a blow to the the North Carolina offense. He was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list and was preseason first-team All-ACC. Walker expected to be the No. 1 target for Heisman contender quarterback Drake Maye. 

North Carolina is looking for consistency after a rollercoaster 2022 season. The Tar Heels were 9-1 at one point in the season before losing four straight games to end the year. That included a blowout loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game and a loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.