Louisiana Judge Clears 16 Players for College Return After NFL Deals
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 20
Louisiana Judge Clears 16 Players for College Return After NFL Deals
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 20
Summary
A Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order to Jack Pyburn and 15 other players, giving them immediate relief to leave pro football and pursue another college season while their case proceeds.
Pyburn’s challenge targets the NCAA’s five-year eligibility clock after a torn ACL cut short his 2023 Florida season; the ruling marks another court setback for an eligibility model under repeated attack.
The order reaches beyond Pyburn to players including Trent Hendrick, Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris, Wydett Williams and TJ Harden, extending return-to-school options to athletes who had already signed NFL contracts.
That possibility had remained murky after a Colorado ruling earlier this summer and an Aug. 2 clarification that NCAA rules still barred players who turned pro, but schools kept contacting candidates about coming back.
For college football, the decision deepens roster uncertainty and signals more legal pressure on NCAA rules as players seek extra seasons through the courts.