The Power Four conferences thought they had the final say. They had banded together to keep professional athletes from returning to collegiate play. But that’s when a ruling in Dallas changed everything.
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Judge Martin Hoffman signed an order that holds the NCAA, SEC, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey from preventing their return. And while this year’s rookie class may celebrate, NFL teams are bearing the consequences, particularly the Kansas City Chiefs.
Two Chiefs players are among 41 plaintiffs covered by a restraining order barring the NCAA and SEC from blocking their return to college football for one more season.
“Among the other football players granted TROs today: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, Chiefs wide receiver Omari Evans and SMU first-team All-ACC safety Ahmaad Moses,” CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz posted on X.
Now, per the SEC’s policy, they would block the return of any player who:
- Previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw.
- Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (affiliate) team
- Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster.
The Big 10, the Big 12, and the ACC implemented similar policies. But as Judge Hoffman ruled, ““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.”
Both Evans and Bissainthe were undrafted free agents the Chiefs had signed following the draft. But if they had already signed for an NFL team, why would they want to return to play at the collegiate level?
Well, Bissainthe spent four seasons at Miami, developing from a promising freshman into a steady off-ball linebacker and earning Third-team All-ACC honors as a senior. He was part of the same Hurricanes squad that made it to the national championship game. However, he had only received the starting spot in his junior year. Had he received another year, he could have improved from his 71 tackles, single sack, single interception senior year.
Similarly, for Evans, it could be the perfect chance to find his footing. While he had over 200 receiving yards in his senior year, he had established himself as a special teams standout at Penn State. However, when he transferred to the Huskies, he didn’t return a single punt or kick during the 2025 season.
As undrafted free agents who weren’t particularly impressive during training camp, making the roster cut will be a challenge. More importantly, while the Chiefs are troubled by injury issues, their roster remains loaded with talent, especially when it comes to linebackers, receivers, and special teams stars.
That’s why a return to college could be the best move for the two. They take back plenty from their time with the Chiefs, and as veterans, finding a program that wants to bring them may not be difficult. Add the possibility of lucrative deals that pay them more than their rookie contracts will certainly be an enticing prospect.
And it may not end there for the Chiefs. Jaydn Ott, a rookie running back signed to the team, may take a similar route. The running back room currently sits full, and Ott may return to college to boost his NFL prospects.
But it certainly won’t be easy. For starters, the Power Four conferences wanted to keep players who had declared for the draft, signed a contract with a team, or were listed on the team’s roster. The fear is that this could set a back-and-forth arrangement for players to move to the NFL, then come back to college.
While the concern has some ground to stand on, the NFL’s stance may alleviate some of those concerns. According to reports, the NFL has informed the teams that any player returning to college this year will not be able to re-sign with any NFL team in the 2026 season. Any player who does that would become a free agent for the 2027 season.
And although Judge Hoffman’s ruling has opened the door for now, it may close pretty soon. The ruling only temporarily blocks professional players from returning.
With the college football season kicking off in a matter of days, there isn’t much time left for either side to sort out where things stand for good.