Anthony Hankerson’s bid to get back on a college football field picked up another legal win Thursday night, though his route remains a tight one.
A Louisiana judge granted Hankerson and other former NFL players an injunction that lets them pursue fifth seasons of college football. The ruling stops the SEC, the NCAA and LSU from blocking the players from taking the field this season, and the SEC is expected to appeal.
The hearing drew national attention because it was tied to the broader fight involving LSU, which has already signed multiple players connected to the case. Earlier Thursday, the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against LSU, saying the school had orchestrated the recruitment of several of those players.
Hankerson himself has not been linked to LSU. The former Oregon State running back entered the transfer portal last month after being waived by the Seattle Seahawks.
The Pac-12 is one of just three FBS conferences that does not have a policy against signing former pro athletes, although that could be tested after Thursday’s decision.
Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard said earlier this week that the Beavers were doing “due diligence” on the players involved. OSU had been in contact with Hankerson before he entered the portal and could still bring him in, but the clock is ticking.
The Beavers face No. 23 Houston on Saturday, and their 105-man roster has to be finalized Friday evening. Even so, the roster can still be adjusted after that deadline as long as there are open spots in the submitted group.
OSU currently has 108 players on its roster, including at least three designated student-athletes who do not count toward the limit, along with several others who may qualify for injury exemptions.
In Other News...
Indiana Looked Like A Top 10 Team From The Start
Saturdays opening weekend gave the college football rankings plenty to sort through, but a few teams wasted no time making their case. Ohio State rolled past Ball State behind big days from Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, Indiana handled North Texas with a balanced showing in its opener, and Alabama looked sharp in a comfortable win over East Carolina as Keelon Russell made his first start.
For Oregon State, though, the early conversation already feels a little more complicated after Houston came away with a 33-20 win. The Beavers had enough offense to stay in the game, but the result left them in the position so many teams face in September: trying to figure out what a tough opener says about the bigger picture, and how much of that first impression can still be reshaped before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Loss Raised A Bigger Concern Than The Final Score
Houstons 33-20 win over Oregon State at TDECU Stadium looked like a straightforward early-season result on the scoreboard, but Willie Fritz spent his postgame time talking about the details that tend to decide whether a team can really sustain success. The head coach pointed to the running game, some uneven tackling, and a few key moments that swung field position and momentum, including a sack by Javion White and a late big play from Amare Thomas.
For a team still sorting out what it is defensively and where the offense can be more consistent, those are the kinds of issues that matter beyond one loss. Fritz also mentioned individual performances and areas that need to improve, which is usually the sign of a coach trying to separate fixable mistakes from broader concerns. In other words, the final score was only part of the story, and not necessarily the biggest part. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Left Houston With One Worry Fans Will Feel Fast
Oregon State left TDECU Stadium with a loss to No. 23 Houston, 33-20, but the larger concern for the Beavers came after the game when JaMarcus Shephard started sorting through the aftermath. The coach reviewed a performance that had some encouraging elements, including turnovers and leadership from Braden Atkinson, while also pointing to the areas that kept the Beavers from turning a competitive night into a better result.
The immediate follow-up now sits on the injury front, where Oregon State has to wait for clarity on a couple of players after a physical night in Houston. At the same time, Shephard was blunt about the football itself, saying the Beavers have work to do in tackling and on third- and fourth-down execution if they want to make the most of the positives they did bring home. [Read more 🡒]