A significant change could be coming to NCAA eligibility rules, one that would grant five full seasons of eligibility to college athletes — and which could extend the playing careers of several current Washington players.
If adopted, the “age-based” or “five-in-five” rule would allow five seasons of eligibility from the time a player graduates from high school or turns 19, whichever comes first. Redshirting would be a thing of the past, and there would be no more waivers for injuries or other matters, with a narrow list of exceptions (maternity leave, military service or religious missions). Athletes would get five years to play as much as they want, but no more. Under current rules, college athletes have a five-year window from the time they enroll to complete four seasons of eligibility (not accounting for waivers, etc.).
The rule change is expected to be discussed when the Division I Cabinet meets on May 22.
If implemented this fall — i.e. for the 2026-27 academic year — football players who will be fourth-year seniors in 2026 could have the option to return for a fifth season in 2027, according to a chart the NCAA shared with member institutions (via Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger).
This is the rule change that coach Jedd Fisch and others hoped might happen in time to salvage Jacob Manu’s 2025 season. Had the rule been in effect then, Manu, then a fourth-year senior returning from an ACL injury, could have simply played in every game once healthy, with his eligibility for 2026 unaffected. Instead, Manu limited himself to four games in order to preserve a redshirt and return this year, despite being medically cleared in Week 4.
Players like Manu who are entering their fifth year in college in 2026 would not be granted additional eligibility under the new rule, nor would players who exhausted eligibility under the current rules during the 2025-26 academic year. For those with eligibility remaining, such as football players who will be fourth-year seniors in 2026, the NCAA would apply whichever rule — old or new — is most beneficial to the athlete, according to the chart Dellenger shared.
Players from the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes who haven’t used a redshirt — such as, say, junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. — also would gain an extra year of eligibility, should they want it. Fisch actually referred to this possibility during his remarks after Friday’s spring game.
“Honestly, as of now, he’ll have three years he can play,” Fisch said of Williams, assuming the rule gets passed.
It’s (far) too early to know whether any of these players might give consideration to another college season, as the goal of most every college veteran is the NFL (and the proposal hasn’t yet been approved). There are starter-caliber college players, though, whose NIL value is greater than their projected value as an NFL rookie, as well as others who don’t necessarily project as NFL players at all.
For now, let’s take a look at the five Washington seniors who could see their eligibility extended through the 2027 season, should the new rule be adopted.