The Class of 2022 eligibility drama just got even juicier with the Big Ten putting its foot down on players returning to college. After the NCAA was granted a stay against the ruling of the Colorado federal court that granted a fifth year of eligibility for all Class of 2022 athletes, any players who had begun practicing with teams were immediately deemed ineligible.
Well, not everyone, as a state-level court case in Louisiana gave 16 athletes named as plaintiffs a TRO to return to college, even though they had signed NFL contracts, and some were even in training camp with their respective teams. So, basically, NFL players are returning to college for what? One more year of glory, or one more year of being paid the big bucks like college players?
Either way, the Big Ten is doing what it can to help stop the bleeding as much as possible. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Tuesday morning that the Big Ten is set to pass a rule that does not allow players to return to college from the NFL and play for a school in the conference. The rule would state that anyone who has declared for the NFL Draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster, or signed a pro contract can not be on a Big Ten school.
Sources: The Big Ten is set to pass a rule today that doesn’t allow players to return from the NFL and play for a Big Ten school. Anyone who has declared for the NFL Draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a pro league cannot be on a Big…
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 25, 2026
The last part of that rule would probably pertain to other sports as well, like basketball, baseball, softball, etc., but let's face it, the biggest problem here is football.
Bret Bielema's plan for pass-catching depth could now be out the door
Last week, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema spoke about two players who would join the Illini this season under the five-for-five rule and the Colorado ruling. Illinois added tight end Peyton Smith and wide receiver Josh Lorick to help with depth at the positions after injuries during training camp.
Neither Smith nor Lorick signed NFL contracts after the 2025 season and transferred to Illinois during 2026 fall camp. The ruling reversal deemed them ineligible, but if they were to file their own personal cases or join a lawsuit like the one in Louisiana and be named plaintiffs, they could get their fifth year back.
Bielema also spoke about the potential of bringing back two Class of 2022 athletes who played big roles for Illinois in the past few seasons. Bielema would love to see the return of offensive lineman Melvin Priestly and wide receiver Hank Beatty, but that just got a lot more difficult.
With this new Big Ten rule that Thamel reported should go into effect today, the Illini could face some serious problems bringing back Priestly and Beatty, as both are currently with NFL teams. Priestly is working with the Detroit Lions, and Beatty is with the Tennessee Titans, and while either both or neither could make the 53-man rosters of their respective teams, the Big Ten says there is no place for them on a team in the conference.
Sure, the return of two Illinois stars would be great, but they moved on, signed with NFL teams, and Illinois will have to see who can step up in their positions.
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