College athletics is once again dealing with another court ruling, and now the question becomes whether coaches are willing to take advantage of it.
Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado granted a preliminary injunction Friday requiring the NCAA to restore a year of eligibility to members of the 2022 recruiting class who have exhausted four seasons of competition.
The ruling comes just months after the NCAA adopted its new 5-for-5 eligibility model, allowing student-athletes to compete in five seasons over a five-year period. The rule eliminated traditional redshirt restrictions and the various waivers that had allowed some players to remain in college for six, seven, eight or even nine years.
The injunction does not allow teams to go over roster limits, revenue caps or prohibitions on returning to college after signing professional contracts.
Perhaps the most important part of Sweeney’s ruling is that players cannot “transfer” unless they entered the Transfer Portal during the January window.
The injunction does not permit schools to exceed roster limits or revenue-sharing caps, nor does it allow athletes who have signed professional contracts to return to college.
Perhaps the most significant piece of the ruling is that eligible players cannot freely transfer. They must have entered the Transfer Portal during the January transfer window to be eligible to play elsewhere.
For Notre Dame, the most notable potential beneficiary is former defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound edge defender appeared in 54 games during his career in South Bend, totaling 61 tackles and four sacks.
From a depth perspective, bringing Tuihalamaka back makes plenty of sense. He's a proven veteran who understands the culture inside the program and already knows Chris Ash's defensive system, eliminating the learning curve that comes with adding an outside transfer.
The bigger question revolves around development and maintaining a healthy dynamic within the defensive line room.
Tuihalamaka hasn't participated in spring practice or the program's summer conditioning, while defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has spent the past eight months developing this group ahead of Thursday's start of fall camp. By bringing back a veteran, does Notre Dame risk slowing the development of Bryce Young, Keon Keeley and an already talented collection of young edge rushers?
Conditioning is another legitimate concern.
Without the benefit of an offseason program, there's no guarantee Tuihalamaka could immediately handle the demands of fall camp. If he's not physically prepared, the risk of injury rises, creating an unfavorable situation for both sides.
Ultimately, there are compelling arguments on both sides. The experience and depth Tuihalamaka would provide are valuable, but so is continuing to invest in Notre Dame's young talent. Before the Irish even weigh those football considerations, however, there's one more question to answer: Does Tuihalamaka want to return for another season at all and is he healthy enough to play following an injury at Pro Day?
It’s always nice to add some insurance on the defensive line, but the silver lining is Notre Dame has one of the best rosters in college football and developed its young talent to be ready to compete in fall camp.
As with any efficient program, I believe Notre Dame has looked into what it would take to bring Tuihalamaka back. Regardless of whether Tuihalamaka returns or not, the Irish boast one of the best rosters in college football.
The big picture concern is how the NCAA will deal with players who participated in rookie minicamps or tryouts. One would feel that’s pretty one-sided, but there are reports of players looking to return to college who have been cut from NFL teams.
As with anything in college athletics, there is no telling what judge will flip the rules upside down this week, so it’s anyone’s guess what happens over the next month.
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
