Tymere Jackson wins TRO against NCAA, clears path back to Texas State

Pete Nakos broke the news that Tymere Jackson's camp secured a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in Travis County, and it's the latest domino to fall in what's become a full-blown eligibility scramble across college football this offseason.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Texas State EDGE Tymere Jackson is being granted a TRO against the NCAA in Travis County, his reps @sixstarsportss tell @On3. Entered his name into the portal in January and now has a TRO for a 5th season. Has 11 TFLs in the last two seasons. t.co/cQAdDbw8E0

The timeline matters here. Jackson put his name in the transfer portal back in January like a guy who thought his college career was winding down, then pulled it out at the end of that month. According to Nakos, he's now expected to return to Texas State for a 5th season rather than test the open market.

Pete Nakos

@PeteNakos

Jackson withdrew from the portal at the end of January and is currently expected to return to Texas State.

This isn't happening in a vacuum. A nationwide injunction out of Colorado, from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, opened the door for members of the 2022 recruiting class who never redshirted and burned four straight seasons to fight for a bonus year before the NCAA's new age-based eligibility model kicks in for 2027. The catch, per that ruling, is that players have to return to their 2025 school, not shop themselves in the portal, which lines up exactly with why Jackson yanked his name back out in January.

Jackson isn't the only name riding this wave. Missouri and Tennessee have both had players granted TROs against the NCAA this offseason on similar eligibility grounds, and the NCAA is expected to appeal the underlying injunction, which means none of this is fully settled law yet. For Texas State, though, the practical upshot is simple: they get back a productive edge rusher who racked up 11 TFLs across the last two seasons, a real difference-maker for a program still building toward relevance in a beefed-up Sun Belt.

The Bobcats were already going to lean on Jackson off the edge before any of this eligibility drama started. Now they get him back for another year almost by accident, a byproduct of a legal fight that's rewriting the rules for dozens of seniors around the country in real time. Whether the NCAA's appeal eventually unwinds any of these TROs is the thing to watch, but for now, Jackson's getting his 5th season.