Appeals court dissolves injunction allowing Class of 2022 athletes 5th season of eligibility, per report
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A Kentucky Court of Appeals dissolved a temporary injunction that would allow a group of Class of 2022 athletes their 5th season of eligibility to play this year, according to a report on Friday afternoon by On3 insider Pete Nakos.
The reported ruling that was in favor of the NCAA would put Texas Tech quarterback Thomas Castellanos in jeopardy of being ineligible for Saturday night’s game at Colorado. Without that injunction, Castellanos would be without legal protection for the Red Raiders’ Week 5 game.
Under the injunction, Castellanos was granted a 5th year of eligibility before the start of the 2026 season. Now, there’s reportedly no injunction that would allow Castellanos to still play, and the decision will have to be made by Texas Tech on whether it still intends to play Castellanos in the Week 5 game in Boulder (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX). All eyes will be on that primetime Big 12 matchup to see whether Castellanos is still suited up despite the reported dissolving of the injunction that was allowing him to play a 5th season.
Castellanos has played in 3 games this season for the 12th-ranked Red Raiders. He transferred to Texas Tech during fall camp after playing the 2025 season at Florida State.
Texas Tech added Castellanos to its 2026 roster for much-needed depth, with Brendan Sorsby no longer being with the program. Castellanos provided an experienced signal-caller behind Will Hammond, who was coming back from an ACL injury, but now having Castellanos going forward this fall is in serious question.
According to Friday’s On3 report, the decision of whether or not to still play Castellanos “will ultimately come down to Texas Tech’s compliance office.”
While the saga swirls regarding eligibility for Class of 2022 athletes, the 2026 season presses on, with the battle ongoing for spots in the College Football Playoff. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to make the 12-team field that will be announced in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
