Ex-Ole Miss starters among players granted temporary path to 5th season

Several players who spent this summer pursuing NFL careers could soon be headed back to college following the latest court ruling challenging the NCAA's new eligibility rules.

Former Ole Miss starters tight end Dae'Quan Wright, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and safety Wydett Williams Jr. are among 33 athletes from various sports who obtained a temporary restraining order Wednesday in Louisiana state court, clearing a potential path for them to play a fifth college season. The group filed suit against the NCAA earlier in the day.

Wright and Williams are currently under contract with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals, respectively, while Harris was waived by the New Orleans Saints earlier this month. Former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson, who is with the Seattle Seahawks, is another plaintiff. All signed as undrafted free agents.

Attorney Ryan Downton told ESPN that Wright, Williams and Hankerson have expressed interest in being released from their NFL contracts. Under the Louisiana order, players who are released by Sept. 1 can join a college roster.

The lawsuit is part of a growing fight over the NCAA's decision to implement a five-seasons-in-five-years eligibility model beginning this year, which excludes outgoing players who already competed in four seasons during their first four years of college.

A federal judge in Colorado granted class-wide relief July 31 to athletes who began competing in 2022-23 and subsequently exhausted their eligibility. That ruling was later clarified to leave intact NCAA restrictions involving professional contracts and transfers, prompting some athletes to pursue additional cases elsewhere. The NCAA has appealed the Colorado decision.

Other football players involved in Wednesday's Louisiana case also include former LSU linebacker Jack Pyburn, South Carolina safety DQ Smith, James Madison linebacker Trent Hedrick and Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka.

Wright earned second-team All-SEC honors last season after catching 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns at Ole Miss. Harris started all 15 games for the Rebels and recorded 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks, while Williams notched 73 tackles, three interceptions and 10 passes defended.

More than 100 athletes have now taken legal action seeking another college season as courts continue to sort through the fallout from the NCAA's revised eligibility system.

--Field Level Media