Georgia football will soon benefit from recent court rulings on player eligibility

For the past decade, college athletes have won nearly every single court case they have brought against the NCAA. Two of the most recent court cases have centered around the eligibility of athletes and whether or not time spent in junior college for Division II should count against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) eligibility, formerly known as NCAA Division I.

In December, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won a court case he brought against the NCAA in which he sued for discrimination against him, claiming that his two seasons of junior college football should not count against his FBS eligibility and in doing so was impacting his ability to earn money through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). This ruling will have a direct impact on the Georgia Bulldogs very soon.

Seven Cloud is a prospect in the Class of 2026 who is committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. Cloud is no normal commit, however. Cloud originally committed to Georgia in 2021 as a sophomore in high school. He was slated to be a part of Georgia’s Class of 2023, but poor academics and some struggles in his off-the-field and home life derailed those plans.

Fast forward to the fall of 2024 and Cloud had emerged as a dominant defensive lineman for Butler Community College, a junior college in Kansas. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and the staff took notice of Cloud’s performance at Butler and his development as a young man and reoffered him. Cloud committed to Georgia once again on December 14, 2024, and this time next year will be on the Georgia Bulldog roster. Because of the Pavia ruling, Cloud’s two seasons at Butler Community College will not count against him and he will have four seasons as a Dawg.

Another ruling against the NCAA was just handed down yesterday in favor of Wisconsin defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean. Fourqurean sued for discrimination and the inability to earn Name, Image, and Likeness money because of his time spent in NCAA Division II.

Now, Georgia typically doesn’t dip into the Division II ranks, but it is not unprecedented in the SEC. Cody Schrader was recently a great Division II pickup for the Missouri Tigers and led the Tigers in rushing in 2023 with over 1800 yards.

Georgia uses the transfer portal sparingly and when it does, Georgia likes to do so for players that can play multiple seasons. With this Division II ruling, don’t be surprised if a late-blooming Division II superstar at EDGE or running back finds themselves on the Georgia roster during the spring transfer portal window thanks to this latest ruling.