The Otis Reese eligibility saga in Oxford is finally over as Ole Miss announced on Friday that the NCAA has approved the defensive back’s waiver to play immediately for the Rebels.

Reese transferred into Lane Kiffin’s program during the offseason after spending two seasons with Georgia. Typically, undergraduate transfers have always been required to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules but the NCAA has slowly allowed more and more players the ability to play immediately following a transfer.

This season, the SEC made the decision to allow transfer from within the league to play immediately provided the NCAA approves an immediate eligibility waiver. That was the hold up with Reese, the NCAA had not approved his waiver, unlike some others around the conference.

After literally months of waiting, the NCAA has finally made the right decision and will allow Reese to finish the season on the field with his Rebel teammates.

“We appreciate the NCAA’s consideration of this matter and look forward to Otis participating in the remainder of the season,” Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said in a released statement. “We are grateful for the diligence of everyone involved in this process.”

In his two seasons at Georgia, Reese saw the field 25 times for Kirby Smart’s program. During that time, he has registered 16 tackles.

Reese has the potential to finish out this season and play two more seasons in Oxford if he so chooses to do so following this ruling.

Ole Miss was scheduled to play Texas A&M this weekend but that game was postponed. The next game on the schedule for the Rebels is next weekend’s Egg Bowl showdown against rival Mississippi State.