NCAA grants UNC’s waiver request to make Ohio State transfer RB eligible this season

North Carolina running back Antonio Williams, who transferred from Ohio State in April, has been ruled eligible to play this season, he said in a tweet.

A spokesman for UNC’s athletic department confirmed Williams was ruled eligible.

Last week, head coach Larry Fedora said that UNC had filed a waiver with the NCAA to get Williams on the field for this season. Players are required to sit out a season before playing at their new school if they transfer, according to the NCAA’s transfer rules for Division I schools.

This week, the NCAA granted that waiver.

“We were extremely pleased to learn that Antonio will be immediately eligible to play this fall,” Fedora said in a press release. “He has already made a great impression on his teammates and coaches, and I think he will be able to make an impact on the field for us this season. I appreciate the hard work of our compliance staff to get the right thing done for Antonio.”

UNC isn’t the only school to have an eligibility waiver request go in its favor. In November, after N.C. State appealed the NCAA’s decision to deny a waiver request, it ruled that guard Braxton Beverly was eligible after he transferred from Ohio State. Earlier this month, the NCAA ruled that Duke offensive lineman Jack Wohlabaugh would be eligible this season after Duke filed a waiver. And now Williams has had his request granted.

The NCAA’s decision to grant the waiver shows its willingness to be more lenient in eligibility cases when athletes want to transfer. There have been discussions among NCAA working groups in recent months of eliminating its requirement that transfers must sit out a year before playing at their new schools.

Williams, who is 5-11, 210 pounds, was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school at North Stanley High in New London. He was ranked No. 7 nationally among running backs from the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports. He played in 12 games last season for Ohio State after redshirting his freshman season. He ran for 290 yards on 57 rushing attempts and three touchdowns.

He said in April his decision to transfer to UNC was based on family and “having particular opportunities.”

Williams’ addition brings much needed depth to the Tar Heels’ back field.

UNC returns its top two tailbacks from last season in junior Jordon Brown and sophomore Michael Carter. Brown started all 12 games for the Tar Heels last season. He rushed for 613 yards and four touchdowns. He also finished second on the team with 29 catches for 237 yards.

Carter appeared in 11 games last season. He rushed for 598 yards on 98 carries and led the team with eight touchdowns. He also had one receiving touchdown.

UNC’s season begins on Sept. 1 at the University of California Berkeley.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 2:55 PM.