Mississippi State football is loading up through the transfer portal to rebuild their program. There are a lot of positions that need upgrading, and there are some key holes that must be filled. But a new ruling by the NCAA may allow the Bulldogs to get back a pair of talented players they otherwise wouldn't have.
NCAA grants waiver to former JUCO athletes to play extra year
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia was one of the stars of the 2024 football season, and he's not ready for his college career to be over. In November, Pavia sued the NCAA, arguing that his years as a JUCO athlete should not count against his overall eligibility because during that time he was not able to capitalize on NIL opportunities.
The courts have ruled in his favor, meaning he's able to pursue another year of eligibility. On Monday, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that the NCAA was appealing that ruling, but they are also granting a temporary waiver for players like Pavia to remain eligible.
For clarity purposes: As it is written in that NCAA memo, the waiver is limited to only those whose eligibility expires this year. For now, other junior college or NAIA athletes would continue on their normal eligibility course. Emphasis on *for now.*https://t.co/vgycCAC7no
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 23, 2024
Essentially, any athlete who spent time in the JUCO or NAIA ranks that saw their normal eligibility come to an end in the 2024-2025 athletic year will now be eligible to compete next season. Dellenger also reports that the NCAA is exploring making a change to give all athletes five years to play while in college, which would have even bigger ramifications.
But in the short term, it appears that there will be a lot of unexpected returnees in college football for the 2025 season.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Davon Booth and Kelly Akharaiyi can now return for the 2025 season
The new waiver by the NCAA is fantastic news for Mississippi State. Two of State's best offensive players - RB Davon Booth and WR Kelly Akharaiyi - would now be eligible to return to Starkville next season if they want to.
There's no doubt that Jeff Lebby would love to have that pair back. Booth broke out over the back half of the season, showing off his explosive running ability. Akharaiyi dealt with injuries early on, but once get got up to speed, he proved to be the dangerous deep threat fans expected when he transferred to State.
Booth was vital for getting the Bulldog ground game going, and considering the losses MSU has taken in the receiving corps, having a starting-caliber WR back in Akharaiyi would be huge. It's unclear at this time what either plans to do, but if they choose to come back for one final year in Starkville, you can start to expect big things from the Bulldog offense in 2025.