A group of former college football players who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Louisiana were granted a temporary restraining order by a federal judge that allows them to enter the transfer portal even though some are currently on NFL rosters
The TRO was granted Wednesday and follows a recent ruling by a judge in Colorado that granted players from the high school class of 2022 a fifth season of eligibility. The NCAA, which is appealing the Colorado decision, announced earlier this year that college athletes now have a five-year eligibility clock. However, athletes from the class whose last year of eligibility was during the 2025-26 school year were not given a fifth year
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The Colorado decision only related to players’ eligibility and did not change NCAA transfer portal rules or dates. The Louisiana TRO allows the class of 2022 players who filed the suit to enter the transfer portal and potentially find a new team ahead of the 2026 season that officially begins in less than three weeks
According to this order, players have a week to put their names in the transfer portal and the NCAA has to explain to the court why any players should not be eligible for the portal
The group includes former Florida and LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn, who had 112 tackles and three sacks over the past two seasons. After playing the first three years of his career at Florida, Pyburn transferred to LSU for the 2025 season and is currently on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster and participating in training camp with the team
Also among the players who were granted a TRO are former Ole Miss DT ZxaDae’Quan Wright. Both were key contributors at Ole Miss in 2025 as the Rebels made the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Wright is on the Cleveland Browns’ roster and Harris was recently a member of the New Orleans Saints before his release. Williams is currently a member of the Arizona Cardinals
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Former South Carolina safety DQ Smith, Oregon State’s Anthony Hankerson and SMU RB TJ Harden were also among the 16 former football players who were plaintiffs in the suit. Harden was recently cut by the Seattle Seahawks while Hankerson is still on their roster
The ruling gives players like Pyburn the option of returning to school for a fifth season after appearing in an NFL preseason game. It’s unprecedented and a great example of the mess the NCAA has when it comes to its eligibility, and name, image and likeness rules
There are undoubtedly programs across the country that would love a player with NFL camp experience on their rosters. But with the season so close to starting — and universities across the country with varying class start dates — there could be an odd recruiting frenzy in the coming weeks if the players explore their college options
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Had the NCAA moved to modernize its amateurism rules throughout the first two decades of the 2000s, a lot of the mess that currently envelops college sports could have been avoided. However, the NCAA clung to an outdated model as the world evolved and has consistently been on the losing end of court rulings in eligibility cases in recent seasons
