Bret Bielema’s latest roster move at Illinois has run straight into the legal mess surrounding fifth-year eligibility.
The Illini coach said this past week that tight end Peyton Smith and wide receiver Josh Lorick had been added through the federal injunction tied to Class of 2022 athletes, a ruling that had opened the door for some players to return for a fifth season if they had not signed a pro contract. But that picture changed again on Friday, when news broke that the group as a whole is no longer eligible after a stay was granted on the injunction from the Colorado federal court case.
That means Smith and Lorick are back in limbo for now. Lorick has already been working with Illinois for a few practices, and Smith had been set to start on Friday, but both situations are now on hold while the lawsuits keep moving.
The stay only affects players who are relying on that broader federal ruling. Athletes who were directly named in individual lawsuits can still hold onto their fifth year, including players in the Louisiana court case this week that granted a temporary restraining order to 16 players who signed NFL contracts this offseason. Illinois’ two newcomers were not part of that group, and they also were not named in individual cases like former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who was recently granted a fifth year through a temporary injunction.
Bielema said the additions were meant to shore up depth at wide receiver and tight end, especially after injuries hit both spots. For now, though, those plans are frozen.
The legal uncertainty could still shift again. The stay is pending appeal, and Smith and Lorick could pursue their own lawsuits or join another case.
Bielema also mentioned the possibility of adding other former Illinois players who used up their four years after last season, including wide receiver Hank Beatty and Melvin Priestly, both of whom are in NFL training camps with the Titans and Lions. Those plans, too, are now waiting on the courts.
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