Arizona's Ismail Mahdi, Max Harris gain eligibility ahead of BYU game
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The Arizona Wildcats - already boasting one of the most experienced rosters in the country - just got even older on Wednesday.
A judge in Pima County issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that will allow three players - running back Ismail Mahdi, linebacker Max Harris, and punter Sullivan Moon - to suit up for the Wildcats this upcoming season.
The ruling is part of what has been an ongoing legal battle between the NCAA and the class of 2022, a group of players who felt they were arbitrarily restricted from the NCAA's recent five-in-five ruling, which gives all players five years of eligibility going forward.
All three are now eligible to play for Arizona as soon as this weekend against No. 15 BYU, after they had to sit out last week against NAU. A hearing has been set for Sep. 21 to allow the NCAA to show cause why the TRO should be negated.
Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris' temporary restraining order (TRO) has been granted.
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) September 9, 2026
Mahdi and Harris, among other plaintiffs in the case, must pay $1,000 for the order to be effective.
Arizona gets two key veterans back
Both Mahdi and Harris were integral parts of Arizona's roster last season, each in their first year with the program after transferring from Texas State.
Mahdi led the Wildcats with 859 rushing yards and scored four times on the ground, while adding 17 receptions, 119 yards, and a touchdown through the air. Meanwhile, Harris finished third on the team with 78 combined tackles, along with 3.5 tackles for loss, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.
Against a BYU defense that held Utah Tech to 49 rushing yards in Week 1, having another experienced veteran ball-carrier could make a huge difference for coach Brent Brennan's team. The Wildcats will need to establish a run game in order to free up space for quarterback Noah Fifita, and having Mahdi join Kedrick Reescano in the backfield makes that a lot easier - while forcing BYU into a late shift scouting-wise.
Meanwhile, Harris adds depth to UA's linebacker group, which could be crucial after last week showed some holes in the defense. Most of those issues were in the new-look secondary, but having another linebacker who has experience in this system - and one who did a lot of damage last year - is a big win for defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales.
Moon, a transfer from Division II Colorado Mesa, has been practicing with Arizona alongside Mahdi and Harris, although he will be behind freshman Chase Ridley and potentially junior Carter Schwartz on the depth chart.
Arizona has not revealed if they plan to activate these players or not, but even just the fact that they can is enough to throw BYU off as the two teams prepare for Saturday's bout - which is slated to kick off at 12:30 PM PT on FOX.
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Andy Patton is a college basketball writer with deep ties to both Gonzaga and Arizona. A Gonzaga alumnus who graduated in 2013, he has hosted the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021 and has co-hosted the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. His years covering the Bulldogs have also given him extensive familiarity with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than two decades on Mark Few’s staff at Gonzaga before taking over the Wildcats in 2021. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.
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