5-for-5: An Incomplete List of Athletes Pursuing Another Year of College Sports

Key Points:

• A Colorado judge’s injunction is allowing the NCAA’s new 5-for-5 eligibility rule—granting athletes five years to play five seasons—to apply retroactively, enabling 2022 high school graduates to compete in college sports during the 2026-27 season.
• This development comes just as college football preseason camps begin, prompting some coaches to consider adding experienced players to their rosters, especially if depth issues or injuries arise close to the season start.
• Several notable football players, including Kentucky linebacker Alex Afari and Virginia EDGE Cazeem Moore, are exploring returning to college football under this rule, while others weigh NFL opportunities against an extra collegiate year.
• In college basketball, players like Missouri’s Mark Mitchell and UCLA’s Donovan Dent are entering the transfer portal or considering an additional season, with some coaches like BYU’s Mark Pope potentially benefiting from these experienced additions.
• The case of Richie Saunders, a talented BYU wing drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies but unsigned due to injury, highlights the complex decisions athletes face regarding returning to college basketball to rehabilitate and improve their draft stock.