Arizona got a boost in court this week, and it could have an immediate impact on Saturday’s trip to No. 15 BYU.
A Pima County Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order that clears the way for running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris to play for the Wildcats in a fifth college season. The two had already been ruled eligible by a federal judge in Colorado in July, but the NCAA appealed and won a stay on that decision.
That means Mahdi and Harris, who both sat out Arizona’s 35-7 win over NAU last weekend, may now be available against BYU. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21, when the NCAA will have to show cause for why the TRO should be overturned.
Mahdi was Arizona’s top rusher in 2025, finishing with 859 yards and four touchdowns. Harris ranked third on the team with 78 tackles. Both arrived at Arizona from Texas State and were in their first season with the Wildcats.
The legal fight traces back to the NCAA’s spring move to a “five for five” eligibility rule, which removed redshirts and made all student-athletes eligible for five seasons after their 19th birthday or high school graduation, whichever came first. But the change did not cover players who graduated high school in 2022 and were headed into what would have been their fifth year of eligibility this academic year, setting off a wave of lawsuits.
Arizona is already feeling the effects of one of those cases elsewhere, too. A separate lawsuit in Georgia allowed the UA men’s basketball team to add former Clemson forward RJ Godfrey.
The Arizona filing covers 10 players in all, including punter Sullivan Moon, a Division II Colorado Mesa transfer who has been practicing with the Wildcats alongside Mahdi and Harris. Each player must pay $1,000 for the TRO to apply.
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