On July 31, a federal court injunction create a “five-for-five eligibility situation.” The injunction applies broadly to Division I athletes from the high-school class of 2022 who exhausted four seasons of competition after 2025-26. In a nutshell, it means that some of the Sun Belt players you wished farewell to could potentially return for a last harrah.
Naturally, those with NFL contracts are not included. Many eligible players will respond with a classic Roger Murtaugh and declare that they are too old for this shit. But some, such as SBC Defensive Player of the Year Trent Hendrick of James Madison, will likely pop back onto rosters.
| 2025 Team | Player | Pos. | 2022–25 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | Rashod Dubinion | RB | 4 seasons |
| Ethan Johnson | CB | 4 seasons | |
| Arkansas State | Simeon Mitchell | DT | 4 seasons |
| Coastal Carolina | No confirmed exhausted-eligibility player yet | ||
| Georgia Southern | OJ Arnold | RB | 4 seasons |
| Pichon Wimbley | G | 4 seasons | |
| Dalen Cobb | WR/RS | 4 seasons | |
| Georgia State | Ted Hurst | WR | 4 seasons — NFL/ineligible currently |
| James Madison | Trent Hendrick | LB | 4 seasons |
| Jacob Thomas | S | 4 seasons — NFL/ineligible currently | |
| Marshall | Boogie Trotter | CB | 4 seasons |
| Demarcus Lacey | WR | 4 seasons | |
| Old Dominion | Zach Barlev | OT | 4 seasons — CFL |
| Louisiana | Jaden Dugger | LB | 4 seasons — NFL/ineligible currently |
| Louisiana Tech | No player yet confirmed to have exhausted four seasons under the ruling | ||
| South Alabama | Christopher Wallace Jr. | S | 4 seasons |
| Troy | Matt Henry | G | 4 seasons |
| Tray Taylor | WR | 4 seasons | |
| ULM | Zach Palmer-Smith | RB | 4 seasons |
| Kevontay Wells | DE | 4 seasons |
Would Arkansas State do well to acquire a bonus year of defensive end Simeon Mitchell? Absolutely. Did Underdog Dynasty already write this article? Absolutely.
IMAGE: mine, and it has nothing to do with the topic, but all of my Simeon Mitchell photos are fuzzy