Former Mississippi State players Jahron Manning and Malick Sylla are taking the NCAA to court in a bid to buy themselves another shot at college football.
The pair filed a joint petition Aug. 25 in Oktibbeha County Chancery Court, according to documents obtained by the Clarion Ledger. Their request asks for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunctive relief, permanent injunctive relief and declaratory judgment as they seek an extra year of eligibility to play in 2026.
At the center of the case is the NCAA’s decision not to extend a fifth year of eligibility to high school seniors from the 2022 class under its new age-based model. That move has triggered lawsuits around the country from athletes trying to return to college football for one more season.
Manning, a safety, was Mississippi State’s leading tackler last season. Sylla, a linebacker, led the Bulldogs in tackles for loss.
Their legal challenge comes just as Mississippi State prepares to open the season Sept. 5 at Davis Wade Stadium against Louisiana-Monroe. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
Both players had already been practicing with MSU since Aug. 14 after a preliminary injunction in Colorado gave some class of 2022 high school players a fifth year of eligibility. But the NCAA appealed, and on Aug. 21 the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit issued a stay. That left class of 2022 seniors ineligible unless they had filed separate lawsuits.
Manning’s path to Starkville has been a long one. He played two seasons in junior college, then one season at Old Dominion before transferring to Mississippi State in 2025. He also took part in Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp and played in the Indoor Football League for the Orlando Pirates.
The Colorado injunction did not extend eligibility to players who signed professional contracts or redshirted, but Mississippi State said Manning was still allowed to practice with the team.
Sylla spent his first three seasons at Texas A&M and did not sign a professional contract after the 2025 season.
The legal fight arrives the same day the SEC announced a ban that would prevent teams from adding pro players. Commissioner Greg Sankey can hand down penalties to teams that violate it.
That conference rule could also end up in court.
The SEC said players cannot return to teams if they previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft and did not properly withdraw, signed a contract with an NFL or other professional football league team, or were listed on an NFL, NBA/G-League or WNBA roster.
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