Rutgers Transfer Safety Ruled Eligible After Court Decision

Jett Elad will return for his seventh season of college football.

Dec 18, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; defensive back Jett Elad (9) celebrates after a play in the first half against the California Golden Bears at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights received good news in the secondary on Friday.

UNLV transfer Jett Elad has been granted eligibility for the 2025 season after a decision by United States District Judge Zahid N. Qurashi.

Elad previously filed a lawsuit after transferring to Rutgers. He spent one year at Garden City Community College in 2022 and argued that this year should not count toward his overall eligibility. The NCAA allows four competitive seasons in a five-year timeframe.

Elad will now enter his seventh year of college football. He started at Ohio, where he played for three years before moving to Garden City. Elad redshirted in 2019 and 2020.

Last year, Vanderbilt Diego Pavia won a similar case. He won an NCAA injuction before the 2024 season after arguing the same stance as Elad.

The UNLV transfer was one of the top gets for the Scarlet Knights this offseason. They officially brought in 11 transfers, including James Madison standout edge Eric O'Neill. He began his career at Long Island University, where he quickly became a standout on the edge. He totaled 44.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in his first two years before transferring to James Madison.

Elad will bring experience to a secondary that has been among the strengths for Rutgers in recent years. Co-defensive coordinators Robb Smith and Zach Sparber will have plenty to work with once again as Rutgrs looks to keep its reputation in good standing on the defensive side of the ball.

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