Three football players currently listed on NFL rosters have been granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana state court, allowing them to return to college for an additional year of eligibility. This development is part of a larger lawsuit filed against the NCAA by 33 athletes.
Among those granted the extended eligibility are former Ole Miss starters Dae’Quan Wright and Wydett Williams, and former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson. Wright is listed on the Cleveland Browns’ roster, Williams on the Arizona Cardinals, and Hankerson is with the Seattle Seahawks organization.
Attorney Ryan Downton indicated that all three players have expressed interest in being released from their NFL contracts. If these releases occur by September 1, the restraining order would permit them to play collegiately again, according to reports.
The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA is breaching its "covenant of good faith" by not affording these players the same opportunity for a fifth collegiate season that past and future student-athletes have received.
The NCAA recently revised its eligibility rules to allow student-athletes five seasons of play within a five-year window, typically beginning upon college enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday. These new regulations have reportedly superseded many of the previous waivers that allowed athletes to extend their college careers due to circumstances such as injuries.