- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,170,672
- Reaction score
- 59
CLEMSON — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney's wish came true.
The NCAA approved a change to its eligibility rules on June 23, giving all athletes five years of eligibility over five seasons instead of five years to play four seasons.
Under the new rules, there will be no more redshirts, and waivers will only be granted in the case of pregnancy, military service or religious missions. An athlete's five-year clock would start the academic year after their 19th birthday or upon college enrollment, whichever is earlier.
The NCAA has not revealed the full details, but athletes who completed their fourth year of eligibility in 2025-26, like basketball's Dillon Hunter and RJ Godfrey, will not be given an extra year. Athletes who are currently enrolled can choose either the old or new rules.
This means any current Clemson athlete who hasn't had a redshirt would get an extra year of eligibility. However, an athlete like linebacker Kobe McCloud and running back Jay Haynes, who used a standard four-game redshirt and earned a medical redshirt, could still get a sixth year of eligibility not available to future players.
Here's how the new rules could impact Clemson football and other notable sports:
Swinney wanted this change to prevent players from redshirting after playing in four games and opting out of the rest of the season to retain their eligibility with plans to enter the transfer portal. Cornerback Shelton Lewis did this with Clemson last season.
Swinney also said it would cut down on the number of players who have prolonged their careers past five years.
Clemson can retain key players for an additional season if those players elect to come back instead of entering the NFL draft. The Tigers can have multiple seniors back for the 2027 season, including tight end Olsen Patt-Henry, defensive end WIll Heldt, cornerback Elliot Washington II, safety Ronan Hanafin and offensive lineman Harris Sewell.
Notable juniors can play two extra years in college too, including linebacker Sammy Brown, cornerback Ashton Hampton, defensive tackle Andy Burburija, wide receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr., and safeties Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III.
MORE: Christopher Vizzina vs Tait Reynolds, comparing Dabo Swinney's Clemson QB options
Since every year counts equally regardless of games played, Clemson can also play its current freshmen right away instead of the Tigers limiting them to four games, so they can redshirt them to preserve a year of eligibility.
Freshmen like safety Polo Anderson, wide receiver Naeem Burroughs and quarterback Tait Reynolds could play in more than four regular-season games in 2026.
The rule change is huge for men's basketball starting center Carter Welling. Welling, a senior, tore his ACL on March 11 in the ACC Tournament.
Prior to this change, Welling would have burned his final year of eligibility if he played next season. Now, he can return in 2026-27 and have a final year of eligibility in 2027-28.
Other notable players who will have a guaranteed fifth year are guards Zac Foster and Cole Certa and forwards Chase Thompson, Liutauras Lelevicius and Dylan Faulkner.
Clemson has not taken any 20-year-old-plus European freshmen, but many other schools have, including Virginia. The new rules would require that any European or G-League players only have eligibility until they turn 24. These players might still be able to play, but they would not have five full years like others.
MORE: What Brad Brownell said about Clemson basketball's NIL compared to other schools
Clemson had three players and two signees receive invitations for the 2026 MLB combine. Under the current draft system, players become eligible after their junior seasons.
Most players with draft interest are reluctant to return for their senior years because they lose leverage in their final season of eligibility. With five years of eligibility though, players can gain another year of leverage if they choose to return.
The eligibility increase could lead to more juniors who are fringe draft prospects returning for another season, too. Notable juniors Clemson could retain for 2027 and potentially 2028 are pitchers Aidan Knaak, Drew Titsworth and Ariston Veasey and infielders Jarren Purify, Tryston McCladdie and Luke Gaffney.
The eligibility rule change could also make players return from injury quicker. With the previous system, players who suffered a preseason injury that would keep them out for most of the season would sit out entirely to preserve another year of eligibility instead of returning. With the change, the incentive to do that is gone.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Dabo Swinney wanted new NCAA eligibility rules to pass
Continue reading...
The NCAA approved a change to its eligibility rules on June 23, giving all athletes five years of eligibility over five seasons instead of five years to play four seasons.
Under the new rules, there will be no more redshirts, and waivers will only be granted in the case of pregnancy, military service or religious missions. An athlete's five-year clock would start the academic year after their 19th birthday or upon college enrollment, whichever is earlier.
The NCAA has not revealed the full details, but athletes who completed their fourth year of eligibility in 2025-26, like basketball's Dillon Hunter and RJ Godfrey, will not be given an extra year. Athletes who are currently enrolled can choose either the old or new rules.
This means any current Clemson athlete who hasn't had a redshirt would get an extra year of eligibility. However, an athlete like linebacker Kobe McCloud and running back Jay Haynes, who used a standard four-game redshirt and earned a medical redshirt, could still get a sixth year of eligibility not available to future players.
Here's how the new rules could impact Clemson football and other notable sports:
Why Dabo Swinney favored 5 years of NCAA eligibility in 5 years
Swinney wanted this change to prevent players from redshirting after playing in four games and opting out of the rest of the season to retain their eligibility with plans to enter the transfer portal. Cornerback Shelton Lewis did this with Clemson last season.
Swinney also said it would cut down on the number of players who have prolonged their careers past five years.
How Clemson football will benefit from 5 years of NCAA eligibility in 5 years
Clemson can retain key players for an additional season if those players elect to come back instead of entering the NFL draft. The Tigers can have multiple seniors back for the 2027 season, including tight end Olsen Patt-Henry, defensive end WIll Heldt, cornerback Elliot Washington II, safety Ronan Hanafin and offensive lineman Harris Sewell.
Notable juniors can play two extra years in college too, including linebacker Sammy Brown, cornerback Ashton Hampton, defensive tackle Andy Burburija, wide receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr., and safeties Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III.
MORE: Christopher Vizzina vs Tait Reynolds, comparing Dabo Swinney's Clemson QB options
Since every year counts equally regardless of games played, Clemson can also play its current freshmen right away instead of the Tigers limiting them to four games, so they can redshirt them to preserve a year of eligibility.
Freshmen like safety Polo Anderson, wide receiver Naeem Burroughs and quarterback Tait Reynolds could play in more than four regular-season games in 2026.
How Clemson basketball, ACC will be impacted by eligibility rule change
The rule change is huge for men's basketball starting center Carter Welling. Welling, a senior, tore his ACL on March 11 in the ACC Tournament.
Prior to this change, Welling would have burned his final year of eligibility if he played next season. Now, he can return in 2026-27 and have a final year of eligibility in 2027-28.
Other notable players who will have a guaranteed fifth year are guards Zac Foster and Cole Certa and forwards Chase Thompson, Liutauras Lelevicius and Dylan Faulkner.
Clemson has not taken any 20-year-old-plus European freshmen, but many other schools have, including Virginia. The new rules would require that any European or G-League players only have eligibility until they turn 24. These players might still be able to play, but they would not have five full years like others.
MORE: What Brad Brownell said about Clemson basketball's NIL compared to other schools
Clemson baseball juniors could return for another season instead of MLB draft
Clemson had three players and two signees receive invitations for the 2026 MLB combine. Under the current draft system, players become eligible after their junior seasons.
Most players with draft interest are reluctant to return for their senior years because they lose leverage in their final season of eligibility. With five years of eligibility though, players can gain another year of leverage if they choose to return.
The eligibility increase could lead to more juniors who are fringe draft prospects returning for another season, too. Notable juniors Clemson could retain for 2027 and potentially 2028 are pitchers Aidan Knaak, Drew Titsworth and Ariston Veasey and infielders Jarren Purify, Tryston McCladdie and Luke Gaffney.
The eligibility rule change could also make players return from injury quicker. With the previous system, players who suffered a preseason injury that would keep them out for most of the season would sit out entirely to preserve another year of eligibility instead of returning. With the change, the incentive to do that is gone.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Dabo Swinney wanted new NCAA eligibility rules to pass
Continue reading...
