Buccaneers Rookie Jack Pyburn Among 16 Suing for College Football Return

By Cameron Tate

Jack Pyburn, a rookie linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former standout at LSU, is among 16 athletes involved in legal action seeking to return to college football for the 2026 season. This follows a federal court ruling that temporarily blocks the NCAA from enforcing a new eligibility model.

On July 31, 2026, U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney issued a temporary restraining order, later converted into a preliminary injunction, against the NCAA's 'Five-for-Five' rule. This rule would have limited players from the 2022 recruiting class, who have exhausted four years of eligibility, from playing a fifth season. The injunction allows these athletes to potentially return to college football, provided they comply with transfer restrictions.

The ruling primarily affects players who did not redshirt and would otherwise be ineligible for another season. However, a clarification from Judge Sweeney indicated that the injunction does not apply to athletes who have signed professional contracts, such as those currently in NFL camps. This could exclude players like Pyburn, though the specific application to him remains unclear.

The NCAA and NFL teams are currently assessing the implications of this ruling, as the possibility of players leaving NFL camps to return to college remains unlikely.