Dillon Hunter’s path back to Clemson just ran into a legal delay.
On Wednesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals granted a stay of the injunction in the [RJ] Godfrey case, which also leaves Hunter and several other players ineligible for the 2026-27 college season while the NCAA’s appeal works through the system. The move joins similar stays from the courts of appeal in Ohio and Tennessee, along with the Tenth Circuit in Wisne.
Hunter and his former Clemson teammate RJ Godfrey are among the players affected by the stay. Hunter had briefly entered the transfer portal, while Godfrey has moved on to Arizona, where he’s set to play for Tommy Lloyd on what could be his third Power Four team in as many years.
A stay does not end the case. It simply pauses the injunction while the appeal is heard. If the NCAA loses that appeal, Hunter, Godfrey and the rest of the players involved would presumably get their fifth and final year of eligibility back.
That uncertainty matters for Clemson right now. Brad Brownell’s backcourt is already thin, with Ace Buckner and Zac Foster working their way back from injuries and Efrem Johnson headed to Virginia Tech. Hunter had been in line for a major role, and Clemson badly needs him available to start games.
Last season, Hunter averaged 7.5 points per game, but he also led the Tigers with 3.0 assists per game and started all 35 games. He played 28.6 minutes per night, and that number was expected to rise this season.
A Clemson return would be a big boost for Brownell’s team, especially with the Tigers hoping to make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament. Without Hunter, the backcourt picture gets much more complicated, even if Buckner and Foster eventually make it back.
For now, it’s a waiting game as the Georgia Court of Appeals decides whether to side with the NCAA.
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For Clemson, the bigger issue may be what this kind of adjustment signals for the ACC schedule ahead. The leagues new model is still taking shape, and the Tigers are set to navigate a format that looks different from what fans have been used to seeing. The opener is now locked in, but the broader question is how this early start fits into a conference slate that could leave Clemson with more to manage than just a strange August date. [Read more 🡒]