Former Boise State cornerback Jeremiah Earby has landed in the middle of college football’s eligibility chaos, and this time the courtroom gave him the short-term win.
Earby and former Miami tight end Alex Bauman were granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday by the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Michigan. Earby entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning, and later that day Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported both class of 2022 athletes will play for Michigan this season.
The move comes as Michigan sits at 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, coming off a bye week ahead of a key home matchup with Penn State on Saturday. The Wolverines have been fighting for traction, and now they’re adding two players with eligibility uncertainty hanging over them.
Earby brings a proven résumé from his time in Boise. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound corner posted a career-best four interceptions last season and broke up 13 passes, which tied for the Mountain West lead and tied for 14th in the FBS. He also finished fifth on the Broncos in tackles with 60 and earned second-team all-MWC honors.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson addressed the possibility of getting Earby back at the start of fall camp, along with defensive tackle Braxton Fely, after a preliminary injunction opened the door for class of 2022 high school graduates to receive a fifth year of eligibility.
“It’s just where college football is,” Danielson said in August. “There’s a lot of different things going on.
I really do believe there is going to be a settling of things. The five-for-five is going to be really good for college football, but changing it for the last year’s seniors now, the timing of it, it’s just a little bit difficult.
But we’re going to work through it with what’s best for our team.
“Obviously, fall camp is a big part of building, continuing to build on common unity and being a part of this fire. So if it’s going to happen, it’s going to have to happen here soon.”
Fely later received a TRO in September and moved on to Oklahoma. He has played in two games for the Sooners this season but has not recorded a stat.
Earby’s path to this point included two seasons at Cal before he transferred to Boise State. In two years with the Broncos, he started 28 games at cornerback and totaled 94 tackles, 20 pass breakups, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
The NCAA has been pushing back hard against the class of 2022 lawsuits and has picked up several recent court wins. One of those victories left Boise State basketball player Lamar Washington briefly without eligibility, and as of Wednesday he remains unable to play for the Broncos this season.
In Other News...
Michigan Defense Gets A Big Opening Against Penn State
Penn State will head into its meeting with Michigan without wide receiver Koby Howard, who is set to miss the game because of injury and will sit out for a fourth straight week. For a Michigan defense that has been steady all season and has kept opponents at 20 points or fewer, the absence only sharpens the focus on a unit already built to control a game at the line of scrimmage and on the back end.
Without Howard available, the Wolverines have a chance to make life even more difficult for Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, especially if their defensive line can win early and the secondary can limit easy answers downfield. It is the kind of setup Michigan likes, with the defense able to squeeze space, force longer drives and put the pressure on Penn State to find production from elsewhere before the game can get away from it. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Found An Immediate Answer At Cornerback
Michigan football appears to have found a late-season boost for its roster plans, as former Cal and Boise State cornerback Jeremiah Earby is expected to join the Wolverines for 2026 after being granted a fifth year of eligibility by the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The move gives Michigan a veteran defensive back with real game experience, and it also brings in a player who already knows coach Tyler Stockton from their time together at Boise State.
For a secondary that can always use more proven depth, Earbys addition carries obvious appeal because he arrives with familiarity built in and a path to help sooner rather than later. Michigan is also set to add former Tulane and Miami tight end Alex Bauman under the same ruling, but the bigger intrigue here is whether Earby can give the Wolverines an immediate answer at cornerback once he gets settled into the program. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Got Midseason Help For A Stretch Run Question
Michigan picked up an unusual midseason boost this week, adding two transfer portal newcomers who could become available right away after a Washtenaw County Circuit Court granted them a preliminary injunction for a fifth year of eligibility. Former Miami tight end Alex Bauman and former Boise State cornerback Jeremiah Earby both bring the kind of experience that can matter most in November, when depth starts to get tested and every available piece becomes a little more valuable.
For Michigan, the timing is the real story here. Bauman gives the offense another option at tight end, while Earby adds needed depth to the secondary, two areas where extra bodies can help keep a stretch run from getting thin. The next question is how quickly they can be folded into the rotation, and whether Michigan can turn this late addition into something more than just emergency insurance. [Read more 🡒]