Former Kansas defensive end Dean Miller is taking his eligibility fight to court, filing a lawsuit against the NCAA in Orange County Circuit Court as he tries to win one more season of college football.
The goal is clear: an extra year that would let Miller suit up for UCF in 2026. The lawsuit also makes his next step public, stating that he intends to transfer to the Knights if the waiver is granted.
Miller’s case revolves around his only season at College of the Canyons in 2021. His attorneys argue that California’s COVID-19 restrictions cut down recruiting opportunities during his senior year of high school, leaving him no real choice but to start at the junior college level. In their view, that season should not count against his NCAA eligibility.
The filing leans on former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s successful legal challenge, saying the NCAA has not handled eligibility rules the same way for former junior college players.
Miller’s path to this point has been a winding one. After that junior college season, he landed at Kansas, redshirted in 2022 and then played in every game in 2023. He took a bigger role in 2024 and became one of the Jayhawks’ most productive defensive linemen, putting up 6.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss while starting 12 games.
In 2025, he started 11 games for Kansas and finished with 29 tackles, one sack and four tackles for loss before running out of eligibility.
The lawsuit says Miller already has a revenue-sharing agreement worth $200,000 with UCF’s collective, along with another NIL deal worth $100,000 that depends on him being ruled eligible. It also says UCF has held off on making his enrollment official while the case plays out.
If Miller gets a preliminary injunction, he would link back up with UCF edge rushers coach Mike Dawson, who previously served as an analyst on Lance Leipold’s staff at Kansas.
The NCAA denied Miller’s first waiver request in April and turned down his appeal in May. Now he’s asking the court to reverse that decision before the 2026 season arrives.
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