Before Diego Pavia broke out at Vandebilt last season, he was already one of the most talked-about players. The 2025 season’s Heisman finalist sued the NCAA over eligibility, proving their “Five-Year-Clock” rule illegally counts junior college (JUCO) seasons against Division I time. A judge agreed, ruling that the NCAA must restore eligibility for players harmed by this rule.

Terrified that hundreds of other players would see this and immediately sue them too, the NCAA panicked and slapped a temporary band-aid on the problem instead of just fixing their broken rulebook. They decided to pass a quick, blanket waiver giving an extra year of eligibility only to JUCO transfers who happened to be finishing up their college careers during the 2024-25 season, which cleared high-profile players like Oregon’s Malik Benson to play without any issues.

But in a very questionable move, the NCAA shut out the next group of players finishing in 2025-26 from getting that same waiver. This created an unfair system where two players who followed the same college path were treated differently just because of their age.

The double standard is exactly why Clemson wide receiver Tristan Smith said “enough is enough” and hired a famous sports lawyer named Darren Heitner, and sued the NCAA in South Carolina after they denied his individual waiver request. Smith spent two years at Hutchinson Community College before moving to Southeast Missouri State and then to Clemson. His journey was very similar to that of players who had already been given waivers.

The tricky nature of the legal system leaves dozens of other college football players stuck in a stressful state of limbo. Guys all over the country, including former top prospects like Samari Collier, are realizing their situations, revealing, “Hey, that is exactly what happened to me.”

Samari Collier and guys like Cameron Wright took to their X handles and vented their frustration, pointing out that they technically qualify for an extra year under the law. But because the NCAA stubbornly refuses to just change the rule for everyone, these players are stuck sitting on the sidelines watching the clock tick down toward fall training camps, completely clueless about whether they will ever be allowed to suit up again or not.

For these players, the uncertainty isn’t just about football. Many have already burned through their Junior College salaries and NIL money. Now they face months of legal fees while fall camps approach.

“Still looking for a place to call home for this season. My goal is to pursue an injunction regarding the JUCO eligibility rule and continue my playing career for this coming up season. My DMs are open, Coaches!” Collins tweeted earlier today.

Not just them, Mosley Jaden, and hundreds like him (JUCO players) from the 2025-2026 class assumed they would be protected by the Pavia Precedent. The worst part for these players is that a judge’s ruling for one athlete doesn’t automatically help athletes in other states. A win in South Carolina doesn’t mean players in Texas, California, or Florida get the same result.

The list of other players stuck in the same situation includes Kaedin Robinson, Kwazi Gilmer, Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, Mikey Matthews, Rico Flores Jr., and Carter Shaw, among many others.

Right now, the NCAA is taking advantage of that. Every affected player has to hire a lawyer and file their own lawsuit to try to get the same eligibility relief. Now, a player’s future depends as much on moving to court as it does on his talent and hard work. This is also a bigger problem for smaller schools than for major programs.

It’s not all the same for every program

If you play for a powerhouse like Clemson, your school can help connect you with elite sports lawyers who already have a track record of steamrolling the NCAA. On the flip side, what about players like Cameron Wright?

What about the players from lower-tier Division I or Division II schools? They have nothing but themselves. These guys barely have enough money to make ends meet, let alone hiring a lawyer and affording legal fees.

The former Coastal Carolina athlete protested for justice using Tristan’s case. “Got his Juco Year back, I qualify as well, I just need a team open to helping me find the right resources,” he tweeted.

On February 10, 2026, a federal court held a crucial hearing regarding an eligibility lawsuit initially sparked by JUCO transfer players. Over the following months, judges issued individual rulings on these cases rather than a single group decision.

While stars like Diego Pavia and Tristan Smith won injunctions to save their 2026 football careers, others, like Joey Aguilar, were denied and had to move on to the NFL. Because the NCAA has still not created a universal rule for all JUCO transfers, the threat of more individual lawsuits remains high.