Mississippi State is working to add two former players to its roster and Southern Miss is welcoming back a trio of familiar faces, courtesy of a landmark ruling that grants some student-athletes an extra year of eligibility.
On July 31, U.S. Judge Charlotte Sweeney out of Colorado issued a preliminary injunction that allowed NCAA Division I student-athletes who began college in the 2022-2023 academic year and exhausted their four years of eligibility by spring 2026 to gain a fifth season, with certain exceptions.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed against the NCAA’s shift to a new age-based eligibility model allowing five years of competition for student-athletes over a five-year window starting at age 19 or college enrollment. The model was approved in June and included all incoming classes while excluding the 2022 class, thus prompting a lawsuit.
Sweeney’s ruling opened the door for some players who initially thought their college days were over to return to a university’s campus as a player.
For Mississippi State, the Bulldogs quickly mobilized to bring back two key defensive pieces — edge rusher Malick Sylla and safety Jahron Manning — though one has a more difficult case than the other. Sylla had a team-leading seven tackles for loss and two sacks, while Manning tallied 91 total tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception last season. If allowed to compete, their addition to the team would be a big plus for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett.
“They’ve got to go through a process. They’re back in the building. We’ll see how it all plays out,” Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby said on Tuesday. “You just want to make sure that guys who have that opportunity are back in the building and getting ready if it ends up being what we hope.”
Lebby added that both players have “a lot of boxes to check” before they are cleared to participate in preseason camp, or even sniff the field come September.
Manning’s case to return is a little complicated as he attended the Atlanta Falcons’ rookie minicamp and signed with the Indoor Football League’s Orlando Pirates. The judge’s ruling, which is being appealed by the NCAA, does not apply to players who signed pro contracts, meaning Manning will have to clear a couple of additional hurdles in his path to regaining eligibility.
Sylla, on the other hand, has a mostly clear path to getting to play this season. The prospective fifth-year player did not sign with a professional team in the offseason. Sylla’s path likely requires maneuvering through Mississippi State’s compliance department and the football team having an open roster spot and potential revenue-sharing capacity for him.
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For Southern Miss, head coach Blake Anderson confirmed that he is adding offensive linemen Aloali’i Maui and Greg Nunnery, along with defensive tackle Jameer Lewis, to his roster. All three competed for the Golden Eagles last year under former head man Charles Huff and are now cleared to practice, per Anderson.
“The NCAA rule allows us to bring [Aloali’i] Maui, Greg Nunnery, and Jameer Lewis back,” Anderson said. “Those guys are family. All have graduated. All had great attitudes last year. We’re happy to have them back.”
Anderson added that Nunnery and Lewis are in Hattiesburg and that Maui is heading back to Mississippi from American Samoa. Their potential roles with the team are not yet defined, as Anderson and company are working with a roster that includes more than 70 new players.
Mississippi State begins the 2026-27 season versus Louisiana Monroe in Starkville on Sept. 5. Southern Miss opens the upcoming season versus Alcorn State at home that same day.
