Legal Victory Opens Door for Fifth‑Year Players
Missouri defensive tackle Sterling Webb secured a temporary restraining order from St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Ellen Ribaudo that immediately makes him eligible to play in the 2026 season as a fifth‑year senior.
The ruling exploits a loophole in the NCAA’s eligibility framework; the class of 2022 remains the only cohort in the last decade that did not receive the benefit of a retroactive five‑year eligibility window, a gap that the court’s decision now seeks to address.
While five Missouri football seniors — Zion Young, Chris McClellan, Kevin Coleman Jr., Toriano Pride Jr. and Khalil Jacobs — graduated last year and have since entered NFL rookie camps, their professional commitments make a return to college unlikely, leaving Webb as the sole former player expected to capitalize on the legal avenue.
In basketball, star forward Mark Mitchell signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets and appeared in the NBA Summer League in July, yet ESPN analyst Jeff Borzello reports that intermediaries for Mitchell have voiced interest in a potential college comeback, a move rendered more complicated by Mizzou’s already full 15‑player roster for the 2026‑27 academic year.
Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz is slated to open fall camp on Monday, August 3, and has indicated that Webb will be the only former athlete participating in practice as a result of his ongoing litigation, a development that could influence both team dynamics and the broader conversation about athlete compensation and eligibility.