Breaking
Who could get another year? The 2022 class now has a path back
A late-summer court ruling reopened the door for a limited group of veterans. Here are the previous schools and 2025 production behind the names to know.
A late-summer court ruling has reopened a roster question college football thought it settled months ago: could some players who arrived in 2022 play a fifth season in 2026?
For a limited group, yes—or at least they now have a path to ask for it. A federal judge in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction to Division I athletes who entered directly from high school in 2022, played four seasons and otherwise would have run out of eligibility after 2025.
That is narrower than the version racing around social media. It is not a universal fifth year, and it does not send former NFL players back to campus. But it could return experienced starters at positions where one veteran can change an entire unit.
What changed
The order applies to a specific group: players who entered Division I directly from high school in 2022 and used four seasons of eligibility. The court found that the NCAA could not apply its proposed age-based eligibility restriction retroactively to those athletes while the case proceeds.
The injunction is preliminary, and the NCAA has appealed. It does not guarantee that every eligible player will return, earn a roster spot or suit up for a new school. It also does not create a route back for former professional players.
The players to know
The list below shows where each player spent 2025 and what he produced. It does not project a 2026 destination.
| Player | Position | Previous school | 2025 production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Hutson | OL | Texas | 48 career games, 23 starts and more than 1,800 snaps |
| Myles Rowser | S | Arizona State | Third-team All-Big 12; team-high 84 tackles |
| Ethan Sanchez | K | Houston | Lou Groza semifinalist; 21 field goals and three late game-winners |
| Austin Jordan | S/NB | TCU | 12 starts at nickel; allowed 91 yards on 21 targets |
| JaCorey Thomas | S | Georgia | 14 games, eight starts and 45 tackles |
| Justice Finkley | EDGE | Kansas | 12 starts, 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks |
| Thomas Castellanos | QB | Florida State | 2,760 passing yards and 15 touchdowns |
| Jordan Scruggs | CB | West Virginia | 12 games, 32 tackles and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown |
| Jacob Holmes | DL | Virginia | More than 1,100 career snaps, 79 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks |
| Cazeem Moore | EDGE | Virginia | 14 games and three sacks |
| Jayden Fielding | K | Ohio State | 313 career points; 45-of-57 on field goals across 46 games |
| Eddie Kelly Jr. | DL | West Virginia | 12 games, four starts, 26 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss |
Why these names matter
Hutson is the clearest example of what another year could mean. Offensive lines are rarely rebuilt with one player, but a 23-start lineman with more than 1,800 snaps can settle a position room, protect a young quarterback and keep a contender from spending September learning on the fly.
The secondary group carries similar value. Rowser led Arizona State in tackles. Thomas started eight games for Georgia. Jordan held opposing receivers to 91 yards on 21 targets from the nickel. Scruggs added a pick-six to a 32-tackle season. Those are not speculative résumés; they are experienced defensive backs who already handled major roles.
Castellanos is the most obvious quarterback name because 2,760 passing yards and 15 touchdowns are difficult to find in late-summer roster building. Sanchez and Fielding matter for a different reason: proven specialists can decide close conference games without needing 60 snaps to do it.
Up front, Holmes, Finkley and Moore offer the sort of veteran pass-rush production that usually commands immediate attention. Each has already played meaningful college football, and Holmes has 20.5 career tackles for loss.
What happens now
Schools still must confirm that each player fits the order, and players still need a roster spot. The appeal could also change the landscape before the season.
This will not flood the sport with former professionals. It could bring back a smaller, more consequential group: 22- and 23-year-old veterans who were productive in 2025 and suddenly have a route to one more season.