Former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn, who recorded his first two sacks in his first NFL preseason game last Saturday, is part of a group of 16 former players that were granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) vs. the NCAA on Wednesday for a fifth year of college eligibility.
ON3Sports’ Pete Nakos, who broke the story, said there were three other players from the Southeastern Conference, defensive lineman Xzavian Harris and safety Dae’Quan Harris and Wydette Smith – all of Ole Miss – who were also part of the favorable ruling.
Attorneys Ryan Downton and Darren Hattner explained players currently on NFL rosters had indicated they would in favor of gaining their releases Sept. 1 from their respective professional teams, so they could return for their fifth year of eligibility in college under the TRO.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Pyburn played his final season at LSU under head coach Brian Kelly in 2025. He started in 11 of 12 games, registered 52 tackles with 5.5 tackles for losses, two sacks, eight quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Pyburn, a native of Jacksonville, Fla. who played his first three seasons at the University of Florida, had a Pro Football Focus run grade of 85.3 last season.
For his career, Pyburn started in 20 of 41 games with 132 tackles, 10 ½ tackles for loss and 3 sacks. He participated in the Senior Bowl but went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with Tampa Bay.
To this juncture, members of the Class of 2022 that have returned to college football to take advantage of the additional year of eligibility granted by Judge Charlotte Sweeney, were those that hadn’t signed NFL contracts.
Sweeney clarified on Aug. 2 the NCAA’s rules were still applicable to players that signed NFL contracts and were ineligible to return to playing college football.
The lawsuit filed by Downton and Heitner came on the heels of the U.S. District Court of Colorado’s injunction against recruits in the Class of 2022, permitting those who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility an additional fifth season in 2026-27.
