Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Jack Pyburn could be headed back to college after a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order to the former LSU edge rusher and 15 others against the NCAA on Wednesday, clearing a path for them to leave the NFL and return to college football.
It’s another significant courtroom loss for the NCAA at a time when its eligibility model continues to be challenged by players seeking additional seasons. Pyburn’s argument centers on the organization’s five-year clock and his injury-shortened 2023 campaign at Florida, when a torn ACL ended his season after nine appearances.
Others who have successfully been granted a TRO by a Louisiana court include former James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick, Ole Miss starters Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Wydett Williams, and SMU running back TJ Harden. Hendrick was the 2025 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year for the Dukes and received invites to participate in minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs this month.
NFL rookies returning to college? Some are looking into it amid NCAA eligibility ruling in Colorado
Matt Zenitz
The next phase of potential eligibility chaos stems from a Colorado court ruling earlier this summer.
Previously, the members of the 2022 recruiting class who returned to college football and took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by District Judge Charlotte Sweeney had been those who didn’t sign NFL contracts.
Despite Sweeney clarifying on Aug. 2 that NCAA rules would still apply regarding players who’ve signed NFL contracts and are ineligible to return to college, teams have remained in contact with different players about a potential return to school, sources told CBS Sports.
Pyburn exhausted what the NCAA considered his eligibility following four collegiate seasons, including a productive final year at LSU. He started 11 games for the Tigers last fall, recording 52 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and eight quarterback pressures before participating in the Senior Bowl and beginning his professional career.
He later signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and was an active participant in training camp this preseason. The TRO does not constitute a final ruling in Pyburn’s lawsuit, but it provides him with immediate relief and the ability to pursue another opportunity while the case proceeds. Considering his SEC experience at multiple schools and proven production, Pyburn should become a coveted defensive player once he is officially available.
For the NCAA, this is another crack in an eligibility structure that courts have repeatedly questioned.
