Eight Football Players Enter Transfer Portal After Securing Temporary Restraining Order

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  Max OlsonAug 20, 2026, 05:38 PM ET

  • Covers the Big 12
  • Joined ESPN in 2012
  • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

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The NCAA transfer portal has officially reopened for a specific group of athletes, granting them a unique opportunity to return to college football for a fifth year of eligibility. This development stems from a temporary restraining order secured in a Louisiana court.

Eight former college football players, who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have entered their names into the transfer portal. The players include running back TJ Harden (formerly of SMU), tight end Dae’Quan Wright (Ole Miss), offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho (BYU), defensive lineman Zxavian Harris (Ole Miss), linebacker Trent Hendrick (James Madison), cornerback Ethan Johnson (App State), cornerback Blake Cotton (Utah), and kicker Luke Drzewiecki (New Mexico).

Among these athletes, Wright is currently on the roster of the Cleveland Browns. Harden participated in the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys before being released. Harris was waived by the New Orleans Saints on August 8.

Sixteen college football players were among the more than 30 plaintiffs who secured the temporary restraining order in Louisiana. A court date for the case has been scheduled for August 31 in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court.

The restraining order allowed plaintiffs to enter the transfer portal during a special one-week window, outside of the standard portal period, which typically runs from January 2 to January 16.

In April, the NCAA introduced new rules penalizing programs that added transfers after the January portal window. These sanctions, targeting so-called “ghost transfers,” included a head coach suspension for 50% of the season and a fine equivalent to 20% of the program’s football budget.

The temporary restraining order also blocked the “ghost transfer rule” and the NCAA’s restitution rule. Additionally, it allows plaintiffs who have signed professional contracts or agent agreements to return to college, provided they terminate those agreements and repay any money received.

As the decision looms, several other plaintiffs must choose between continuing their NFL aspirations or attempting a return to college. Former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn recorded two sacks in his preseason debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while former Ole Miss defensive back Wydett Williams Jr. has played in two preseason games with the Arizona Cardinals.

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