The fifth-year eligibility temporary restraining order issued by a Dallas judge shifts an active eligibility dispute into the run-up to the college season and could affect how programs structure rosters this fall.
More than 40 Class of 2022 student-athletes are listed as plaintiffs — including former Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas and former TCU/SMU receiver Jordan Hudson — and court documents are available in reporting from Saturday Down South.
Key Takeaways
- A Dallas judge granted a temporary restraining order that covers more than 40 student-athletes from the Class of 2022 seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
- The named plaintiffs include former Georgia defensive back JaCorey Thomas and former TCU/SMU receiver Jordan Hudson, among others from multiple schools and sports.
- The NCAA, the SEC, and commissioner Greg Sankey are named as defendants in the court filing connected to the TRO.
- The TRO pauses enforcement of the NCAA ruling for the listed plaintiffs but does not automatically void conference policies that bar players who signed NFL contracts from competing.
How the fifth year eligibility TRO works
A temporary restraining order is a short-term judicial remedy intended to preserve the status quo while a court evaluates a legal challenge.
In this case the TRO prevents the NCAA from enforcing its decision limiting fifth-year relief for the Class of 2022 against the listed plaintiffs while the order remains in effect.
The TRO does not resolve the underlying legal claims and leaves open later steps such as a preliminary injunction hearing or a full adjudication on the merits.
Players named and defendants listed
Court documents identify more than 40 Class of 2022 student-athletes as plaintiffs and single out several by name in the filing.
Jordan Hudson is listed as a former TCU transfer who finished at SMU and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, and JaCorey Thomas is identified as a former Georgia defensive back who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers.
Other athletes named include former SMU forward Corey Washington, ex-Mississippi State forward Brandon Walker, and former Houston wide receiver Stephon “Boogie” Johnson, with the NCAA, the SEC, and commissioner Greg Sankey named as defendants in the action.
Court filings and conference policy context
| Player | College affiliation | Court filing note | Conference policy implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Hudson | TCU → SMU | Named in the filing and identified as having signed an undrafted free agent deal. | Conference bans on players who signed NFL contracts could still prevent on-field participation despite the TRO pausing NCAA enforcement. |
| JaCorey Thomas | Georgia | Named in the filing and identified as having signed an undrafted free agent deal. | Players listed who did not sign NFL contracts would be directly affected by the NCAA ruling that the TRO temporarily halts. |
| Other plaintiffs | Various schools | More than 40 athletes are included across sports and institutions in the filing. | Conference-level enforcement and administrative interpretations remain separate issues that could limit actual participation. |
SEC roster planning and College Football Playoff implications
The TRO injects immediate uncertainty for SEC programs that planned roster construction around the NCAA’s original ruling and scholarship allocations.
For Georgia, the presence of a listed Class of 2022 player in the filing could alter depth charts on paper while conference policies or administrative decisions may still restrict on-field availability.
From a College Football Playoff evaluation standpoint, teams could look different on eligibility lists than they do in practice if conference enforcement diverges from the TRO’s pause of NCAA action.
