news-engine

College football across the country has been besieged by professional players returning to campus to play for a school that will wedge them onto a roster just days before the season begins. The Houston Cougars recently added former wide receiver Stephon Johnson back to the team on Monday thanks to a court order allowing him and others a fifth year of eligibility. In June, an NCAA rule change prompted a legal challenge from players who graduated in 2022 and felt the change robbed them of a season of eligibility. Former Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Cole Hutson participated in rookie minicamps with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns without signing a standard NFL contract, which created a pathway to join the Longhorns roster for a fifth season, though new SEC rules have outlawed the practice as of this week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Many college sports purists are appalled by student athletes-turned-professionals returning to campus, and conferences are taking the fight into their own hands by threatening severe punishments against teams that sign such players. Why are fringe NFL players returning to college football? The reasons are simple for players eyeing a return to campus. Take Dae’Quan Wright, the former Cleveland Browns tight end who was waived on Tuesday—at Wright's request— to go back to school, this time with the LSU Tigers after previous stops at Ole Miss and Virginia Tech. Wright, an undrafted rookie in 2026, had a slim chance of making the Browns' initial 53-man roster. If Wright had made the practice squad, he would've earned $13,750 per week—close to $250,000 over an 18-week season. However, Wright's 2025 projected NIL valuation while at Ole Miss was approximately $530,000, according to On3. That's twice the full-season salary of a practice-squad player. The math is simple here, and so far the rules haven't kept up with the money. In talking with players, they're trying to keep up. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Whatever the rules are letting players do, it's the rules," Texas Southern junior quarterback Randy Hymes told Chron. "However it goes, go." For coaches, it's all about staying ahead of the ever-changing rules. "We're definitely going to look," Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said on Wednesday. "We're looking at who declared and didn't get picked up, who was maybe in a minicamp." "If they got the right credentials, we’re open to look into it," said Prairie View A&M head football coach Tremaine Jackson. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For one NFL coach, the current landscape for players moving around the league is unrecognizable. “I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy,” Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said to reporters on Wednesday. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL will inform its clubs that any player who returns to the college ranks will be prohibited from signing with a team this season, essentially making them ineligible for waivers. Every player making the trek back to college already was waived during the preseason. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, the problem is that college sports' leadership—the NCAA—has had its ability to control the chaos wrangled away by local and state courts. "I think this is more evidence why, when they come back from the break, regardless of what you think, Congress has to pass this bill," Lashlee said to ESPN Radio on Aug. 20. "You can't have a deal where it depends on which court case or which state you sue in and what judge you get determines the rules ... the court system is running our our game right now. And there's no consistency and continuity. So for some players, it might be a good thing. For others, it might not be a good thing." "I think this is more evidence why when they come back from the break, regardless of what you think, Congress has to pass this bill." @rhettlashlee, the head coach of @SMUFB joined @MiaOBrienTV and @Ianfitzespn to discuss the potential of pro football players returning to… pic.twitter.com/FkC7QBSlrA — ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) August 21, 2026 How have courts changed college football eligibility rules? A Texas judge on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, the SEC, and Commissioner Greg Sankey, granting over 40 plaintiffs a fifth year of college sports eligibility. This is the first major court ruling against a specific conference. Advertisement Article continues below this ad “As long as they would have been eligible to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today,” Dallas County Judge Martin Hoffman wrote in the temporary restraining order. Two of the plaintiffs are former SMU Mustangs receiver Jordan Hudson, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys, and former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, who is with the Kansas City Chiefs. Neither player played in the SEC, but the judge has ordered the NCAA to open the transfer portal for a week, allowing either player to transfer to a new school if an SEC team is interested. On Friday, a Louisiana district court judge expanded a similar restraining order to include the SEC and Sankey, affecting players on NFL training-camp rosters who are seeking to return to college football. It's possible that other states could target specific conferences to push for similar effects on the sport. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The college football season officially kicks off this weekend, and hopefully the discussion of eligibility can finally be put to bed in favor of actual football. For Houston Cougars middle linebacker Carmycah Glass, his solution is simple and not so outlandish, given the current climate of college sports. "Up the rule from the five to six," Glass said to Chron with a laugh. "The college experience is a good thing." Another Exit | UFL moves on from Houston as league targets new markets Splits | Brittney Griner files for divorce, says marriage is beyond repair Shocking | Texas youth football coach fired over ties to alleged 'sex dungeon' Controversy | Tony Romo's cheeky grin in mug shot following OWI arrest is everything Catch up on Texas sports, sign up for the Launch Pad newsletter here.