Federal eligibility ruling could open door for recent Arizona graduates to return for extra season
Tommy Lloyd had just wrapped up a summer practice, one where his current 15-man roster worked out ahead of a planned overseas trip to Lithuania in August, when he met with reporters and was asked about the possibility upping that number to 16.
“There’s been no secret that we would love to add another guy to this roster, but we just got to kind of make sure that it’s the right thing to do,” Lloyd said. “Let’s be opportunistic. If there’s an opportunity to do something like that, then hopefully we can put ourselves in position.”
Within the hour, opportunity knocked.
A federal judge in Colorado ruled Friday afternoon that all athletes who graduated from high school in 2022, who had believed to have been out of college eligibility after this most recent season, would be given a fifth year. Those seniors had not been grandfathered into the NCAA’s recent “5 for 5” rule that now gives student athletes a blanket five years of eligibility without the need for redshirts.
The preliminary injunction applies to student athletes in all sports, not just men’s basketball, where a series of state-level lawsuits had been filed over the summer. One of those, in Tennessee, went in the players’ favor on Friday while earlier in July an Ohio judge sided with the players.
An active case in Georgia, involving 16 men’s basketball players, includes one that the UA has been linked to. The Wildcats are reportedly interested RJ Godfrey, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 12 points and 5.3 rebounds at Clemson in 2025-26, to fill its final roster spot (and a major need at power forward).
In each of these cases, including the federal one which in essence is a class action lawsuit, the rulings allow for players to enter the NCAA transfer portal despite it being closed in their respective sports. That’s how the UA would be able to add Godfrey or someone else, and on Friday dozens of men’s basketball players announced their intention to enter the portal despite it being closed since April.
Arizona baseball, which has a few roster spots left open after seeing three offseason transfers get taken in the MLB Draft and sign pro deals, might end up bringing in a player or two it previously didn’t consider.
But since this ruling applies to all sports, it opens the door for some recently departed Wildcats to come back to Tucson for one last go-around if they so choose.
Arizona football, which is set to begin preseason camp on Wednesday, could technically bring back running back Ismail Mahdi or linebacker Max Harris. Mahdi recently became owner of a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit location in Marana while Harris is pursuing a career in music.
Volleyball player Ana Heath, who played 120 games for the Wildcats from 2022-25, could be welcomed back for 2026 though she’d have to get up to speed quickly since the first exhibition match is Aug. 19. It would be an even shorter turnaround for any former UA soccer players who just became eligible, as their first exhibition is next week.
Among winter athletes, Emma Strom could opt to forgo being an assistant coach with the gymnastics team and instead seeking a second All-Big 12 floor exercise recognition. There were no applicable players on the 2025-26 women’s basketball roster, and though Arizona fans would love another year of Tobe Awaka he’s not passing up a chance to make the Chicago Bulls’ roster.
Spring is where there’s the most potential for a UA encore. Among those who could return for a fifth year are reigning Big 12 Softball Player of the Year Sydney Stewart, men’s tennis legend Jay Friend, the men’s golf duo of Filip Jakubcik and Zach Pollo and Big 12 100- and 200-meter champion Mason Lawyer. Stewart isn’t the only softball player would has the opportunity to come back, as so do Tayler Biehl, Grace Jenkins and Jalen Adams, while baseball players Garrett Hicks, Maddox Mihalakis and Mathis Meurant now can play another season.
