MSU's Kohler Listed in Injunction vs. NCAA for 5th Year of Eligibility

The college career of Jaxon Kohler may not be done for, after all.

Kohler is among a group of college players seemingly attempting to gain a fifth year of eligibility in the wake of the NCAA's shift to a "5-in-5" system. CBS's Jon Rothstein reported on Friday afternoon that Kohler was one of many players listed on an injunction that is to be filed in California. Carson Cooper is not among the list of players seeking another year here.

Why Kohler Has a Case

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler looks on during a game against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Kohler is a member of the high school class of 2022 that has gotten a slightly raw deal from the NCAA. They and the class of 2021 are two high school classes that received only four years of eligibility, while everyone else around them will have the chance at five. The NCAA didn't count the 2020-21 season against anybody's eligibility, and Kohler would still be eligible today if the 5-in-5 system had started one year earlier.

The NCAA is attempting to get this rule into place without grandfathering in outgoing athletes, but like plenty of NCAA rules, it's on flimsy legal footing. Players like Kohler are potentially missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions, by not getting that extra year of eligibility that those younger than them are getting. Kohler has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Utah Jazz and has been playing in NBA Summer League in the meantime.

Could MSU Bring Kohler Back?

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler looks on during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against UCLA at the United Center on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Certainly, Kohler is the caliber of player Tom Izzo would love to get another year out of. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a senior last season, leading the Spartans in made three-pointers and rebounds. It's not quite so simple, though. Kohler could fetch plenty of money on the open market from other schools, and the roster situation in East Lansing is a little bit tricky.

The tricky part here is the 15-person roster limit in college basketball. There used to be a 13-person scholarship limit, but now it's just 15 players flat for the whole team, whether that player is on scholarship or is a walk-on. Michigan State is currently rostering exactly 15 players.

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler yells after being introduced as a starter before a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The only exception to this rule is if a player is labeled as a "designated student-athlete" for a team's 2025-26 roster. Those are players whose spots on current rosters were considered to be threatened by the new limits. In that case, they don't count toward the roster limit. What's really difficult about it is that the list of DSAs isn't accessible to those outside the program. I tried to get the list via FOIA request a while back, and the school denied it.

If anyone would be a DSA on the men's basketball team, though, it would probably be the two Walton twins. They are both walk-ons, were redshirt freshmen last season, and would fit the definition of somebody whose spot on the MSU basketball team was mainly threatened by the new rule. If they or anyone else on the roster has that tag, the Spartans would have an open roster spot they could give back to Kohler.

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