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The NCAA unanimously passed their age-based eligibility proposal on Tuesday, with a final confirmation on Wednesday the only obstacle left to hurdle before the so-called 5-in-5 rule becomes law.
Essentially, there are no more redshirts or medical waivers or JUCO rulings or anything of the sort. Every athlete is given five years to play five years of competition, with that clock beginning either when the athlete enrolls in college for the first time or upon their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The only exceptions are for pregnancy, military service, and religious missions.
To illustrate how this rule would have affected some Huskies of the present or near-past: edge rusher Zach Durfee's clock would have started in 2020, when he enrolled at North Dakota State as a regular student. Ignoring the 2020 COVID-19 waiver for all student-athletes, which gave Durfee a sixth season of eligibility, he would have been immediately eligible to play in 2023 for the Huskies after one year at North Dakota State and two seasons at NAIA Sioux Falls, then would have entered his fifth and final season in 2024.
The more recent case, one that head coach Jedd Fisch hoped would be solved by an earlier implementation of the rule, is linebacker Jacob Manu. After tearing his ACL midway through his true junior (or third) season of eligibility, Manu was healthy for most of the year in 2025 but had to be limited to four games in order to use his redshirt and make him eligible for a fifth season in 2026. Under the new rule, Manu could have played every game for the Huskies last season and still would have been eligible to return this year.
Manu and any other player entering their fifth year of college in 2026 do not get any additional eligibility out of this new rule. Neither do those who exhausted their eligibility in the 2025-26 academic year, like senior defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei. But everybody with eligibility remaining, including fourth-year athletes like center Landen Hatchett, gets whichever rule is most beneficial to them, which in almost every case will be the new 5-in-5 rule.
So, like Hatchett, who could benefit most from the NCAA's newest decision?
Let's start with Hatchett, who has started 15 games over the last two seasons and will return as the Huskies' starting center in 2026. The fourth-year senior enters the season with undrafted free agent feedback from the NFL, so anything short of a phenomenal campaign may mean that Hatchett can earn a bigger (and more guaranteed) NIL bag than what he would garner from the pros in 2027. Washington would likely welcome him back as a veteran leader on an offensive line whose oldest returning starter would otherwise be junior-to-be John Mills after Geirean Hatchett and Drew Azzopardi graduate following this season.
Limar arguably has an even better case than Hatchett, considering he wasn't even graded by the NFL's spring service. The senior has been a reserve for Oregon the past three seasons, with only 276 snaps on offense and 176 on special teams in his college career thus far. Limar missed the spring with a foot injury, but if takes the reins of the running back room this year, there's not much reason to think he wouldn't also have a place on the 2027 squad. That chance could be increased depending on the status of Jordan Washington, who suffered a major neck injury this spring and will not have any updates regarding his condition until later this summer.
Similar to Hatchett, Lane is an in-state player who has blossomed into a starter for the Huskies but carries undrafted free agent feedback from the NFL heading into his senior year. After tying Zach Durfee for the team lead in sacks and pressures as a junior last season, Lane will be a leader of a suddenly fairly deep room in 2026. Russell Davis II could be one of the rare players to benefit more from the old rules if he can secure a medical waiver; however, which could leave the Huskies a bit full on the edge, considering only Isaiah Ward would be out of eligibility after this season in that scenario.
This is where the return begins to look more appealing for Washington than it might end up being for the player. McLaughlin already has late Day 3 feedback from NFL teams after an honorable mention All-Big Ten season, and his versatile skillset feels like it's perfect for the NFL's current defensive movement. The Huskies like Rylon Dillard-Allen and freshman Gavin Day, and Rahim Wright II and Paul Mencke Jr. took steps this spring, but you'd have to imagine Washington would love to bring McLaughlin back for a fifth year if he doesn't put himself more firmly on NFL radars.
Believe it or not, Alexander is Washington's third-highest graded player among NFL teams despite only starting five games last season. With early Day 3 feedback and a bigger role despite the immense depth of the linebacker room looming, Alexander may not need a 2027 season in college to prove he belongs at the next level. But Washington may need him - Manu will graduate after the season, and Buudah Al-Uqdah, like Russell Davis II, would need a medical waiver to stay eligible in 2027. That leaves the cupboard a bit bare alongside Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, with redshirt freshman Donovan Robinson Jr., freshman Ezaya Tokio, and four 2027 recruits the only other scholarship options. The Huskies attempting to convince Alexander to come back may be a better option.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: How new 5-in-5 NCAA eligibility rule affects Washington football
Continue reading...
Essentially, there are no more redshirts or medical waivers or JUCO rulings or anything of the sort. Every athlete is given five years to play five years of competition, with that clock beginning either when the athlete enrolls in college for the first time or upon their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The only exceptions are for pregnancy, military service, and religious missions.
To illustrate how this rule would have affected some Huskies of the present or near-past: edge rusher Zach Durfee's clock would have started in 2020, when he enrolled at North Dakota State as a regular student. Ignoring the 2020 COVID-19 waiver for all student-athletes, which gave Durfee a sixth season of eligibility, he would have been immediately eligible to play in 2023 for the Huskies after one year at North Dakota State and two seasons at NAIA Sioux Falls, then would have entered his fifth and final season in 2024.
The more recent case, one that head coach Jedd Fisch hoped would be solved by an earlier implementation of the rule, is linebacker Jacob Manu. After tearing his ACL midway through his true junior (or third) season of eligibility, Manu was healthy for most of the year in 2025 but had to be limited to four games in order to use his redshirt and make him eligible for a fifth season in 2026. Under the new rule, Manu could have played every game for the Huskies last season and still would have been eligible to return this year.
Manu and any other player entering their fifth year of college in 2026 do not get any additional eligibility out of this new rule. Neither do those who exhausted their eligibility in the 2025-26 academic year, like senior defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei. But everybody with eligibility remaining, including fourth-year athletes like center Landen Hatchett, gets whichever rule is most beneficial to them, which in almost every case will be the new 5-in-5 rule.
So, like Hatchett, who could benefit most from the NCAA's newest decision?
C Landen Hatchett
Let's start with Hatchett, who has started 15 games over the last two seasons and will return as the Huskies' starting center in 2026. The fourth-year senior enters the season with undrafted free agent feedback from the NFL, so anything short of a phenomenal campaign may mean that Hatchett can earn a bigger (and more guaranteed) NIL bag than what he would garner from the pros in 2027. Washington would likely welcome him back as a veteran leader on an offensive line whose oldest returning starter would otherwise be junior-to-be John Mills after Geirean Hatchett and Drew Azzopardi graduate following this season.
RB Jayden Limar
Limar arguably has an even better case than Hatchett, considering he wasn't even graded by the NFL's spring service. The senior has been a reserve for Oregon the past three seasons, with only 276 snaps on offense and 176 on special teams in his college career thus far. Limar missed the spring with a foot injury, but if takes the reins of the running back room this year, there's not much reason to think he wouldn't also have a place on the 2027 squad. That chance could be increased depending on the status of Jordan Washington, who suffered a major neck injury this spring and will not have any updates regarding his condition until later this summer.
EDGE Jacob Lane
Similar to Hatchett, Lane is an in-state player who has blossomed into a starter for the Huskies but carries undrafted free agent feedback from the NFL heading into his senior year. After tying Zach Durfee for the team lead in sacks and pressures as a junior last season, Lane will be a leader of a suddenly fairly deep room in 2026. Russell Davis II could be one of the rare players to benefit more from the old rules if he can secure a medical waiver; however, which could leave the Huskies a bit full on the edge, considering only Isaiah Ward would be out of eligibility after this season in that scenario.
S Alex McLaughlin
This is where the return begins to look more appealing for Washington than it might end up being for the player. McLaughlin already has late Day 3 feedback from NFL teams after an honorable mention All-Big Ten season, and his versatile skillset feels like it's perfect for the NFL's current defensive movement. The Huskies like Rylon Dillard-Allen and freshman Gavin Day, and Rahim Wright II and Paul Mencke Jr. took steps this spring, but you'd have to imagine Washington would love to bring McLaughlin back for a fifth year if he doesn't put himself more firmly on NFL radars.
LB Xe'ree Alexander
Believe it or not, Alexander is Washington's third-highest graded player among NFL teams despite only starting five games last season. With early Day 3 feedback and a bigger role despite the immense depth of the linebacker room looming, Alexander may not need a 2027 season in college to prove he belongs at the next level. But Washington may need him - Manu will graduate after the season, and Buudah Al-Uqdah, like Russell Davis II, would need a medical waiver to stay eligible in 2027. That leaves the cupboard a bit bare alongside Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, with redshirt freshman Donovan Robinson Jr., freshman Ezaya Tokio, and four 2027 recruits the only other scholarship options. The Huskies attempting to convince Alexander to come back may be a better option.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: How new 5-in-5 NCAA eligibility rule affects Washington football
Continue reading...
