Florida’s new head football coach Jon Sumrall didn’t hold back when asked about the ongoing eligibility confusion surrounding Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako. With a smirk and a sharp sense of humor, Sumrall took the opportunity to poke fun at the situation while making a broader point about the current state of college athletics.
“We’re going to file a temporary restraining order and see if Tim Tebow can play short yardage and goal line QB,” Sumrall quipped during Wednesday’s media availability. “I don’t know what the hell is going on with all of that. I don’t understand it and am not smart enough to figure it out.”
It was a light-hearted jab, sure, but Sumrall’s comments also tapped into a deeper frustration that many coaches across college sports are feeling right now. With eligibility rules seemingly in flux and player statuses changing by the day, the line between college and professional sports has never felt blurrier.
“To me, you’re either in college or you’re a pro,” Sumrall continued. “We are going to coach who they let us coach, recruit who they are going to let us recruit.
That is such a moving target that you don’t know who is allowed to play, and the rule could change tonight or tomorrow or whenever. We’ll see if Tebow gets his years I want back.”
Sumrall isn’t alone in his confusion. Florida basketball coach Todd Golden recently voiced similar concerns, particularly in light of Bediako’s return to the college game. The Alabama big man had spent time in the G League and signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs before rejoining the Crimson Tide in January for what would have been his senior season.
Bediako’s return raised eyebrows across the college basketball world-not just because of the unusual path back to NCAA play, but because it’s still unclear how the rules allowed it. And while he managed just six points in Alabama’s 100-77 loss to Florida last weekend, the broader conversation is less about his performance and more about precedent.
Coaches are left trying to navigate a landscape where eligibility rulings feel inconsistent and ever-changing. The question now isn’t just about one player-it’s about what kind of framework the NCAA and its member schools are working within, and whether that framework can keep up with the evolving relationship between college sports and the professional ranks.
Sumrall’s Tebow joke may have drawn laughs, but the message behind it is serious: college coaches want clarity. In a world where players can seemingly bounce between pro contracts and NCAA rosters, the need for consistent rules and transparent enforcement has never been greater. Until then, coaches like Sumrall are left doing what they can-coaching the players they’re allowed to coach and hoping the rulebook doesn’t change overnight.