Utah’s Cam Rising, Tennessee’s Bru McCoy among top players with extra year of eligibility from NCAA settlement

The United States Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has submitted a proposed consent decree that would prohibit the NCAA from enforcing its Transfer Eligibility Rule, or any related rules that impose restrictions on athletic transfers between Division I schools.

The proposed consent decree — which still requires court approval — would retroactively apply to any transfers forced to sit out under the NCAA Transfer Eligibility Rule. One of the provisions states that Division I student-athletes found ineligible for any part of a season during or since the 2019-20 academic year will be granted an extra season of eligibility by the NCAA.

This review also depends on whether the athlete is currently eligible to compete or whether their eligibility expired during the 2023-24 academic year. Obviously, this latest twist opens the door for several athletes to take advantage of this extra year of eligibility.

Here are some college football stars who could benefit from the latest NCAA transfer policy changes.

Cam Rising, QB, Utah

This decision opens the door for Rising to return for an almost unprecedented eighth season. Whether Utah’s longtime signal-caller will actually do so remains to be seen, but he has transcended veteran status at this point. Rising initially signed with Texas in 2018 under former coach Tom Herman, but transferred to Utah in 2019. Per NCAA rules at the time, he had to sit out his first year with the Utes. He was named Utah’s starter in the 2020 season opener against USC, but suffered a season-ending injury that ended his campaign after just a few quarters. He started 24 games in 2021-22, but a devastating injury in the 2023 Rose Bowl sidelined him for an entire season. Rising is back for another try with the Utes in 2024 as they transition to the Big 12. He will have another decision pending when the season ends.

Bru McCoy, WR, Tennessee

McCoy’s career has already been colorful, thanks in large part to the transfer portal. To sum up an eventful first year, McCoy committed to USC in January 2019 as a five-star prospect, flipped to Texas 20 days later on signing day, signed up with the Longhorns for spring practice and then transferred to to USC in June of the same year. . He was forced to sit in 2019, played six games in 2020 and remained sidelined in 2021 while dealing with legal issues off the field. He transferred to Tennessee in 2022 and started 12 games after gaining immediate eligibility, hauling in 52 receptions for 667 yards and four touchdowns. An ankle injury cut short his 2023 season after five games and he made the decision to return in 2024 as Tennessee’s presumptive No. 1 wide receiver. While his initial transfer situation is complicated, it appears the NCAA would give McCoy one more year in 2025 should he decide to return.

Jake Smith, WR, Arizona State

Smith, a former top 100 prospect from Scottsdale, Arizona, played in 13 games in 2019 as a freshman at Texas and caught six touchdowns, ranking second among true freshmen in program history. He started six games in 2020 and threw three touchdowns, but missed a few games due to injury. Smith worked his way through the 2021 spring practice roster with the Longhorns and new head coach Steve Sarkisian before becoming part of Clay Helton’s final move to USC. He missed the entire 2021 season due to injury and did not play in 2022 while graduating. With USC’s wide receiver room filled with talent under Lincoln Riley, Smith transferred to Arizona State ahead of the 2023 season. The NCAA denied his eligibility waiver as it was his second transfer. before obtaining an undergraduate degree. Smith will play in 2024 and could use a few extra years to live up to his high school billing and recreate the impact he had at Texas nearly five years ago.

Darrell Jackson Jr., DL, Florida State

Jackson signed with Maryland in 2021 out of Gadsden County High School in Havana, Florida, and spent a year with the Terrapins before transferring to Miami. In his only season with the Hurricanes, Jackson recorded 27 tackles and three sacks while starting all 12 games. He re-entered the transfer portal in December 2022, citing a desire to be closer to family, and quickly committed to Florida State. He was forced to sit out the regular season. However, he made his Seminoles debut in Florida State’s Orange Bowl loss to Georgia, where he posted three tackles, including half a tackle for loss. Jackson is a legit NFL Draft prospect that could see its shares soar in 2024, but NIL and the potential for further improvement could convince it to stick around.

Tyler Brown, Ohio, Colorado

Brown spent the first three years of his college career at Louisiana before transferring to Jackson State under Deion Sanders in 2022. There, he emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in the FCS, earning third-team All-American and First-team All-American. SWAC honors after starting 13 games at guard. Brown followed Sanders to Colorado in 2023 but was ruled ineligible under the NCAA’s multiple transfer rule. The Buffaloes certainly could have used him and he will be a key figure in 2024 as the Buffaloes rebuild one of the worst units in the country. Bringing him back for a seventh year in 2025 would provide much-needed stability to Colorado’s offensive line.

Zach Durfee, EDGE, Washington

Durfee spent a single semester at North Dakota State in 2021. He did not play football or any other sport. He transferred to Sioux Falls to play football and redshirted in 2021 before breaking out in 2022 with 11 sacks in 11 games, third-most among all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference players. Durfee entered the portal once again in 2023 and drew interest from the likes of Minnesota and Iowa State before committing to Washington and former Sioux Falls coach Kalen DeBoer. Despite the fact that Durfee never participated in a sport at NDSU, the NCAA still considered him an athletic transfer twice and ruled him ineligible for the 2023 campaign. spent no time in the field. The Huskies now need to replace their two edge rushers, and Durfee has impressed two different coaching staffs with his athleticism and his ability to adapt to the highest level of competition. A few strong seasons with the Huskies could see him emerge as a top-tier defender.