Ismail Mahdi leads wave of 5th-year returns after Colorado ruling

College football rosters are getting weird again. A Colorado judge's injunction is letting Class of 2022 players who burned through four seasons come back for a fifth, and the list of guys walking back into meeting rooms is growing by the day. Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi is at the top of it.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi is being integrated back into the program following the recent court ruling in Colorado, granting him a 5th year. Rushed for 859 yards and 4 TDs last season. t.co/kyFRFEd8d9

Mahdi's path here is a journey. He started at FCS Houston Christian in 2022, put up 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns over two seasons at Texas State, then landed at Arizona last year and immediately became the workhorse, rushing for 859 yards and 4 touchdowns. That production is exactly why the Wildcats want him back instead of watching him walk.

He's not walking back alone. Per Pete Nakos, Mahdi is joined by Stephen Daley and Cazeem Moore among the players who've announced they're returning for a 5th season under the same ruling.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Ismail Mahdi, Stephen Daley and Cazeem Moore are among the players who have announced their return for a 5th season. More on other class of 2022 recruits exploring a return: t.co/Z8A6kFbvmD

The ruling itself, from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Denver, grants an extra year of eligibility to any Division I athlete who began their college career in the 2022-23 season and used up four seasons — as long as they didn't sign a pro contract over the summer. It's a class-wide injunction, meaning it's not a short list of hand-picked cases. It's potentially hundreds of players nationwide, which is why programs are scrambling to figure out who on their old rosters just became eligible again.

That scramble is already spreading well past Tucson. NC State just added cornerback Jamel Johnson back to its roster for his own 5th season under the same ruling, another name popping up on Nakos' running list of returns.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

NC State adds CB Jamel Johnson back to its roster. Will be his 5th season following a recent court ruling in Colorado. t.co/k8bxXf7U00

There's a catch that keeps this from turning into total chaos: the ruling doesn't override roster limits, transfer rules or revenue-sharing caps. So a program can't just stack extra bodies onto a full roster — if there's no room, the eligibility win doesn't matter. For Arizona, though, Mahdi's spot is safe, and getting a proven 859-yard back back in the fold for free is about as good as a loophole gets. Expect more names to trickle onto this list all month as the NCAA and schools keep sorting out who's affected.