Former Boise State cornerback Jeremiah Earby has landed in the middle of college football’s eligibility mess - and for now, he’s got the court on his side.
Earby and former Miami tight end Alex Bauman were both granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday by the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Michigan. Earby then entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning, and later that day Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that both class of 2022 athletes will play for Michigan this season.
Michigan, which is off to a 3-2 start and 0-2 in Big Ten play, had a bye last week before a key home game against Penn State on Saturday. Penn State comes in at 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
Earby arrives after two seasons at Boise State, where the 6-foot-2, 186-pound defensive back put together a strong run. He started 28 games at cornerback for the Broncos and finished with 94 total tackles, 20 pass breakups, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
His best statistical season included a career-high four interceptions, along with 13 passes defended, which tied for first in the Mountain West and tied for 14th in the FBS. He also ranked fifth on the team with 60 tackles and earned second-team All-MWC honors.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson had already addressed the possibility of getting Earby back earlier this fall. At the start of camp, Danielson said the program was exploring a return for Earby and defensive tackle Braxton Fely after a preliminary injunction opened the door for a fifth year of eligibility for class of 2022 high school graduates.
“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 transferred to Oklahoma. He has played in two games for the Sooners this season and has yet to record a stat.
The broader fight over class of 2022 eligibility is still playing out in court, with the NCAA pushing back and winning some recent decisions. One of those rulings affected Boise State basketball player Lamar Washington, who temporarily lost his eligibility. As of Wednesday, Washington remains ineligible to compete for the Broncos this season.
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