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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 30, 2024: Jackson Carsello #65 of the Northwestern Wildcats reads the defense during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Wrigley Field on November 30, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by John Konstantaras/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On Monday, Northwestern graduate student Jackson Carsello’s motion for a preliminary injunction was granted by Cook County Circuit Judge Neil Cohen, clearing the way for Carsello to return as the Wildcats’ starting center this upcoming season.
This news is a major boost for NU’s program and its offensive line. Carsello shined last season, starting all 13 games for NU with a PFF grade of 79.8, which was tied for fourth-highest in the nation. After becoming its second returning player, Carsello will anchor NU’s protection up front under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
But this decision also stemmed from a lengthy legal battle, focusing primarily on the parameters of medical exemptions and whether Carsello’s injury-riddled 2021 season entitled him to a retroactive medical redshirt. This ruling could establish precedent for future cases between players and the NCAA, as both parties balance giving athletes ample opportunities to compete while enforcing strict eligibility requirements.
What Jackson Carsello Argued
Carsello joined Northwestern in 2021 as a three-star recruit from Glenbrook North High School. However, his first two seasons were marred by injuries. He suffered significant high ankle sprains his first year and did not see any game action. While he practiced with the team, he was not deemed healthy enough to play. Carsello assumed he would receive a medical redshirt to preserve a lost season of competition.
Carsello’s true redshirt freshman season occurred the following year, in 2022. However, he appeared in just four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
On March 16, Carsello received a phone call from the NCAA, which announced that Carsello’s petition for a year of eligibility was denied. At the time, Carsello told NU this had come as a surprise to him, as he had believed the Big Ten favored granting him another season of play, while he had heard that the general process was moving in the right direction. Carsello had already begun draft prep and had met with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to learn his new offensive schemes.
Fast forward to June 12, and Carsello formally sued the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. He argued that because he did not compete in 2021 due to medical issues, 2022 should serve as his redshirt season, making him entitled to four subsequent seasons of competition. Having already played three seasons over the past three years, Carsello contended that 2026 should be recognized as his fourth and final season of eligibility.
What the NCAA Argued
The NCAA has frequently been implicated in legal challenges to its eligibility requirements, and in several instances it has won. In January, a federal judge denied a preliminary injunction to five college football players seeking to play a fifth season. However, those players were challenging the redshirt requirements themselves, failing to convince the judge that restricting athletes to four seasons over five years violates U.S. antitrust laws.
The dispute in Carsello’s case is different. The point of contention is not the validity of his 2022 redshirt — or the redshirting rules altogether. It’s whether his 2021 season should qualify for a medical exemption.
The NCAA argued that Carsello’s ankle injuries did not serve as an adequate defense for him not playing, meaning that 2021 should be considered his redshirt year rather than 2022. Therefore, 2025 would have been Carsello’s final year of eligibility, preventing him from competing in 2026. This was the central argument in the NCAA’s case against Carsello.
What Judge Cohen decided
Judge Cohen sided with Carsello, ordering the NCAA to restore Carsello’s eligibility for the 2026 season.
During the hearing and deliberation period, Judge Cohen considered two things. The first was the NCAA’s specific laws concerning what qualifies as competition. The second was a deposition from former Northwestern offensive line coach Kurt Anderson, who coached Carsello from 2021-24. He testified that Carsello’s high-ankle sprain was legitimate, saying that he chose to not play the center fearing that it would be unhealthy and damage his long-term football career. Anderson noted that other offensive linemen had suffered injuries that year, and he’d made the decision as the coach that Carsello shouldn’t play.
Judge Cohen found that deposition compelling. He noted in his ruling that it’s unreasonable to assume Carsello chose to sprain his ankle to avoid NCAA rules, while recognizing that a core principle of the NCAA is to promote the safety of players, both physically and mentally.
Cohen also differentiated this case from other preliminary injunction disputes, recognizing that unlike Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, Carsello’s request doesn’t stem from a gambling addiction or any sort of intolerable behavior, but rather an injury he couldn’t avoid. He made clear that the consequences of denying Carsello eligibility far outweighed any harm the NCAA could face by allowing him to compete.
Despite ruling against the NCAA, Cohen still expressed gratitude and no animosity toward the association, simply deciding that they arrived at the wrong conclusion.
“I admire the NCAA, and I thank them for the process they went through, but they got it wrong in this case,” Cohen said in his ruling. “I imply no bad faith in their getting it wrong, but they got it really wrong.”
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