Here’s Why These Signed NFL Players Could Return To College Football

Several athletes, including some who signed contracts with NFL teams, were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana court that would make them eligible to return to college athletics, ESPN reported Wednesday. NFL teams are deep into training camp, and rosters have to be cut to 53 players by Aug. 30. Many who don’t make those clubs could look for a fallback plan in college football, barring a successful appeal by the NCAA. According to ESPN, 16 football players were part of the lawsuit that included 33 athletes across several sports who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility. Of those, four players are currently on NFL rosters. Anthony Hankerson was an undrafted free agent running back signed by the Miami Dolphins in late-April, who was cut on Aug. 10 and then signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Hankerson attended Colorado in 2022 and 2023, before transferring to Oregon State for his final two years of college football. With the Beavers, Hankerson led all independent players in rushing attempts in both campaigns, as well as players from scrimmage, while rushing for over 1,000 yards in each and with 24 combined touchdowns. Jack Pyburn was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have held onto the pass rusher through camps so far. Pyburn played college football for Florida as a linebacker from 2022 through 2023, then switched to defensive end in 2024, before transferring to LSU and the SEC as a senior. The 6-foot-4, 264 lb. Pyburn had 60 combined tackles in 2024 and another 52 in 2025, with three combined sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss across those two seasons. The Philadelphia Eagles signed tight end Dae’Quan Wright as an undrafted free agent in April, but waived him in August – the Cleveland Browns signed the soon-to-be 23-year-old the next day. Wright played for Virginia Tech in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for the next two years: his top season came as a senior, when he pulled in 39 receptions in 15 games for 635 yards with five touchdowns. Wydett Williams was teammates with Wright at Mississippi, and the Arizona Cardinals signed him after his senior season, where he played safety. Williams had previously been a defensive back for Louisiana-Monroe as a junior, with his freshman and sophomore campaigns coming for Delta State, a Division II school. Williams had 73 combined tackles as a safety for Ole Miss in 2025, with three interceptions and a fumble recovery as well. Not all of these players currently appear on their respective teams’ depth chart. Wydett Williams is listed as the third safety for the Cardinals, while Jack Pyburn is fourth of five outside linebackers for the Buccaneers. Anthony Hankerson and Dae’Quan Wright, both recently cut and signed elsewhere, have not made their depth charts. The NCAA has been dealt a series of legal setbacks regarding its eligibility rules. “Courts across the country granting relief to ineligible athletes who already had every opportunity to compete in college — sometimes without even having a hearing — are failing to appreciate the destabilizing effect their rulings are having on college sports,” Tim Buckley, NCAA senior vice president of external affairs, said in a statement. “The lawyers bringing these cases seemingly won’t be satisfied until every professional athlete can treat college sports as a fallback option, regardless of the opportunities it strips from those who will never have a chance to begin their collegiate sports experience.” On July 31, a federal court in Denver ruled that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this academic year. That decision came a little more than a month after the NCAA passed a rule that gives athletes five years to complete five seasons of competition, starting with those who enroll in the fall of 2027. The Colorado ruling eliminated the waiting period. The Associated Press contributed to this report.