Updated
Updated · ESPN · Aug 21
Eight Players Enter NCAA Transfer Portal After 1-Week Eligibility Order
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Aug 21

Eight Players Enter NCAA Transfer Portal After 1-Week Eligibility Order

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Aug 21

Summary

  • Eight former college football players had entered the NCAA transfer portal by Thursday afternoon after a Louisiana judge reopened it for plaintiffs seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
  • The temporary restraining order gives those athletes a one-week window outside the normal Jan. 2-16 portal period and blocks NCAA penalties tied to late "ghost transfers."
  • The eight include SMU running back TJ Harden, Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, plus players from BYU, James Madison, App State, Utah and New Mexico.
  • The ruling also lets plaintiffs who signed with pro teams or agents return to college if they terminate those deals and repay money received; Wright is on the Browns roster, while Harden and Harris were recently cut or waived.
  • Sixteen football players were among more than 30 plaintiffs in the case, and a Louisiana court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31 as others weigh NFL pursuits against a college return.

Insights

Could an impending NFL roster cut turn into a college football superstar thanks to a temporary legal loophole?
If the NCAA successfully appeals, what happens to the active pro players who already transferred back to college?
With millions in revenue sharing, will fringe NFL athletes permanently use the NCAA as a lucrative backup plan?