MORGANTOWN — West Virginia football defensive back Jordan Scruggs and defensive lineman Eddie Kelly Jr. are exhausting options to play another year for the Mountaineers. Scruggs and Kelly took to social media to announce that they are seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to play another season. Both have court dates next week.
This action comes after the NCAA switched to the new age-based eligibility rule on June 23, known as the 5 for 5 rule. The new ruling allows all college athletes a fifth year of eligibility over five seasons. But it only applies to athletes who were underclassmen during the 2025-26 school year.
“Maintain existing rules — allowing four seasons of competition in five years of eligibility — for student-athletes competing in the 2025-26 academic year; new rules are not expected to retroactively apply to student-athletes whose eligibility is or will be completed by the spring of 2026,” NCAA president Charlie Baker told ESPN last April.
The new ruling is being challenged by recently graduated seniors because the new ruling doesn’t apply to them in different court cases. An Ohio state court judge granted a preliminary injunction on July 9 to keep the NCAA from enforcing the rule on 24 men’s and women’s college basketball players who were seeking a fifth year of eligibility. The Ohio case will be moved to trial in August.
In Kelly’s case, he played four years of football, starting in 2022 at Southern Florida. He didn’t redshirt, meaning, under the new rules, he should be granted another season. Scruggs played a year at a junior college and is using that season to play another year.
Kelly transferred in from Missouri before last season. In one season with WVU, Kelly played in 12 games, including four starts on defense and special teams. He tallied 26 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and three pass breakups. If Kelly were to return, it’d be a big boost to the defense because he’s one of the few defensive players to have a full season under defensive coordinator Zac Alley.
Scruggs played 12 games at corner for the Mountaineers and appeared on some special teams plays in 2025. He racked up 32 tackles and had two pass breakups. Scruggs had a big pick-6 on the road against Houston, returning it for 80 yards. The score took away a scoring chance for the Cougars and led the Mountaineers to the upset and a top 25 win. Scruggs could slot in at corner or at least a depth piece if he can return for 2026.
