NCAA Eligibility Bid Fails as Judge Denies Seventh Year for Major College Football QB

The NCAA has found itself in the thick of legal battles over athletes' eligibility since the dawn of the NIL era.

College football players have emerged victorious against the NCAA on a few different occasions. Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was granted another season of eligibility in 2025 due to the inability to earn NIL compensation at the junior college level.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted another season of eligibility in 2026 due to sitting out two seasons at Ferris State, one of which was because of an injury.

The NCAA scored a victory over an athlete when a judge denied former Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris a preliminary injunction on Thursday, effectively ending his fight for a seventh season of college eligibility. The rationale for Morris in the case centered around devastating injuries he suffered in prior college football seasons.

Morris, the son of current Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, wrapped up his sixth season of college football at the end of 2025. He passed for 3,000 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while guiding the Cavaliers to an 11-3 mark in his lone season as their signal caller.

Before Virginia

Chandler Morris during TCU's 2023 game against West Virginia. — TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Chandler Morris (4) rolls out to pass against the West Virginia Mountaineers | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Morris played at a total of four different programs during his college football career. The former three-star prospect sat behind Spencer Rattler and Tanner Mordecai during his freshman year at Oklahoma. He completed three of five pass attempts for 35 yards and ran for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

TCU was the next stop in Morris' college football journey. He used a redshirt in 2021, but an injury to Max Duggan gave Morris an opportunity to see the field in three Big 12 games. He completed 50 of his 76 pass attempts for 695 yards and three touchdowns, and while rushing for 83 yards and another touchdown.

A knee injury at the beginning of the 2022 season cost Morris the starting job in the midst of the Horned Frogs' run to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. He appeared in three games and completed 18 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Duggan's departure paved the way for Morris to take back the TCU starting job in 2023. However, Morris once again suffered an injury in early October. He finished his last season with Horned Frogs with 1,532 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and five interceptions to go along with 249 rushing yards and three more touchdowns.

North Texas was Morris' final stop before Virginia, and unlike the prior two seasons, he did not suffer an injury. Morris finished 2024 with 3,774 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns. He was named to the All-AAC Second Team for his efforts in his lone season with the Mean Green.

Where does Virginia turn next?

Beau Pribula during Missouri's 2025 game at Oklahoma. — Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) throws during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers acquired two experienced Power Four starting quarterbacks out of the NCAA transfer portal before Morris' legal proceedings began. One of these acquisitions is Eli Holstein, who redshirted at Alabama in 2023 before becoming Pittsburgh's starter in 2024. In two seasons with the Panthers, Holstein threw for 3,306 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The other acquisition is Beau Pribula, who spent two seasons as Drew Allar's understudy at Penn State before becoming Missouri's starter in 2025. In three seasons, Pribula has thrown for 2,365 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 868 yards and 16 more touchdowns.