Missouri got a welcome bit of clarity on Wednesday morning as Sterling Webb’s push for a fifth season of eligibility took another step in his favor.
The veteran defensive tackle has been in the middle of an NCAA dispute all offseason, part of a wider wave of college football players seeking court decisions that would keep them on the field for one more year. Webb’s case mattered especially for the Tigers, who are set to open Week 1 this Saturday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
According to Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff, the temporary restraining order Webb has against the NCAA will remain in place after a St. Louis judge’s ruling. That keeps Webb eligible to play, at least for now, while the legal process continues.
Hoff reported: “The TRO making #Mizzou DT Sterling Webb eligible to play remains in place after a St. Louis County judge this morning denied the NCAA's motion to dismiss it, per @KatieKull1, who was there for @stltoday.
The judge did add the University of Missouri to the TRO, which appears to…”
For Missouri, the timing is important. The Tigers are coming off an 8-5 2025 season and now have Webb available as they start preparing for another year.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz was asked about the ruling and offered a line that fit the moment perfectly: “I just got a tweet … Looks like we’re ready to go. I mean, I don’t know what to tell you. Just wait for tweets - that’s all I do.”
Webb’s longer-term status is still unsettled, but the immediate result is clear: the fifth-year defensive tackle appears set to be on the field for Missouri on Saturdays, at least for now.
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For Missouri, the setup is less about the opponent and more about what the program wants to show after a long offseason. Openers are usually about clean execution, depth and avoiding the kind of early mistakes that linger, and this one gives the Tigers a chance to do all of that in front of their own crowd while the rest of the country is busy debating bigger games. The more interesting part may not be the result at all, but how the Tigers handle the business they are expected to handle. [Read more 🡒]