Every Oklahoma State Softball Player's Eligibility Under the New NCAA 5-for-5 Rule

The NCAA passed its new “5-for-5” legislation earlier this week, marking the biggest reshaping of student-athlete eligibility in decades.

Now, students-athletes in NCAA sports will have five years to play five years of sports. The rule throws out redshirts and waivers, except in only a few situations.

The athlete's five-year period will begin at either full-time college enrollment or during the academic year following their 19th birthday — whichever comes first.

The legislation fully takes effect for the 2027-28 athletic year, but the ramifications will be felt this year as the NCAA will assess current eligibility based on the new standard and then, if necessary, reclassify the athlete based on which rule benefits them more.

So, with that, here’s an evaluation of the Oklahoma State softball roster and how many years of eligibility each player should have under the new rule.

The Breakdown

In the table below, “years in school” is at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. And “remaining eligibility” is for 2026-27 and beyond, per the new rule.

Player	Years in School	Remaining Eligibility
Rosie Davis	3	2
Tia Warsop	3	2
Karli Godwin	3	2
Delainey Everett	3	2
Kendra Lewis	2	3
Kennedy Proctor	2	3
Maddie Hartley	2	3
Jayden Jones	2	3
Madison Hoffman	2	3
Kaya Booker	2	3
Payton Kennedy	1	4
Makala Smith	1	4
Aubrey Jones	1	4
Libby Jaques	1	4
Montgomery Henderson	1	4
Gabby Castillo	1	4
Jayelle Austin	1	4
Kinleigh Russell	0	5
Reese Poage	0	5
Peyton May	0	5
Aliyah Garcia	0	5
Dawson Blue	0	5
Jade Barton	0	5
Kennedy Allen	0	5

Note: The chart above is based on the NCAA guidelines and are not official.

Why Is This a Big Change for Oklahoma State Softball?

The implications of the rule change are significant for the four players at the top of the chart — Davis, Warsop, Godwin and Everett. If the NCAA applies the rule as it outlined, all four players should get two more years, even though they are listed as seniors on the Oklahoma State web site.

All four entered college for the 2023-24 athletic year and have not used their redshirt. Under the old rules, they would have one more year unless they opted to use their redshirt. With the new rules, it should be two years — and head coach Kenny Gajewski can hang onto three holdovers starters until 2028.

It also makes a difference with many of the key transfers that the Cowgirls procured, including Hartley, Lewis and Proctor. All three entered college in 2024-25 and have played two seasons without a redshirt. Now, all three get an extra year and can play three seasons.

The overall impact of the rule is that Gajewski’s team just got “younger.” He now has a roster in which he won’t lose a single player in 2027, unless that player opts to transfer. The four seniors he expected to lose can all return in 2028.

It’s a boon for a program like Oklahoma State, which has worked the transfer portal well for the past several years but is at its best when it recruits and develops talent that it retains for multiple seasons. The implementation of this new rule should allow him to not only retain talent but give everyone more playing time, especially early in the season.

The Cowgirls don’t have to worry about redshirts anymore. Short-term and long-term, that’s a good thing.

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