Cal Defensive Tackle Aidan Keanaaina Seeking Another Year of Eligibility

Cal defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina, who was an honorable mention all-ACC selection last season, claims in a court case that he should get another year of college football eligibility.

It has been assumed that 2025 was Keanaaina’s senior season and his final year of college eligibility. He participated in Cal Pro Day two weeks ago, hoping to impress NFL scouts with his performance.

But he filed a suit against the NCAA (Keanaaina v. NCAA) that requests a temporary restraining order based on the claim that his 2022 season at Notre Dame should be considered a medical redshirt and not count against his eligibility.

If he wins the temporary restraining order, he presumably would be able to play college football in 2026, but it is unclear whether he would play for Cal. Keanaaina reportedly entered the transfer portal in January and could transfer to another school if he is eligible.

If he returns to Cal for another season, it would be good news for the Bears because Keanaaina has been an effective and reliable player in the front of the Bears’ defensive line. Keanaaina started 26 games for Cal the past two seasons, and he finished the 2025 season with 56 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, all good numbers for an interior defensive lineman.

Keanaaina has been on a college football roster for six seasons – four at Notre Dame and two at Cal – but claims only three of them should count against his eligibility. The point of contention involves his 2022 season at Notre Dame.

His first season at Notre Dame was 2020, and he appeared in one game, but that year did not count against any player’s eligibility because it was a Covid year.

Keanaaina played three games for Notre Dame in 2021, but that counted as a redshirt year, so it did not count against his eligibility.

Keanaaina then suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2022, but recovered sufficiently to play in one game for Notre Dame in 2022, against Boston College.

That season counted against his eligibility, but Keanaaina’s suit claims he should get a medical hardship waiver so it would not count against his eligibility. He claims in his suit that he wasn’t preparing to play in that one game against Boston College, but was inserted into the game.

Keanaaina then played in six games for Notre Dame in 2024, before transferring to Cal, where he started all 13 games for the Bears in 2024 and started all 13 games for Cal in 2025.

Keanaaina filed his complaint in Colorado and requested a preliminary injunction. On Monday, a planning conference was scheduled for June 29, although there is a chance the process could be accelerated.

It is unclear when a ruling on his case might be rendered, and it’s also unclear what the chances are of Keanaaina winning a temporary restraining order.

Also Cal wide receiver Jacob De Jesus is awaiting a ruling on his case in which he is hoping for a temporary restraining order so he can play for Cal in 2026.

Keanaaina and De Jesus are not participating in Cal’s spring practice, which resumes on Wednesday. Cal’s spring game is scheduled for April 18.

There are 12 defensive linemen listed on Cal’s spring roster, including transfers Jericho Johnson, Ashun Sheppard and Jayden Williams.