With the college football season starting this weekend, the environment around eligibility is more chaotic than ever, with court cases around the country to determine eligibility. Now, the UCF Knights have lost a key one in Orange County.
A Ninth Circuit Judge denied Dean Miller’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the NCAA. He had previously sought an additional year of eligibility to transfer from Kansas and play at UCF. This decision came down to what Judge Diego M. Madrigal III described as the letter of the law.
“Writing on a blank slate, the Court would not deprive Miller of this opportunity,” Judge Madrigal said. “However, the Court does not write on a blank slate. The Court’s proper role is to fairly and impartially apply the law that controls this situation. In applying the law, there can be only one result. The Court must deny Miller’s request for a temporary injunction.”
The hope for Miller was that he could get an injunction that challenged JUCO eligibility counting against eligibility at a Division I school. Around the country, judges have been split on these rulings, with Diego Pavia famously getting his injunction and Joey Aguilar famously not getting his.
Miller previously claimed that being ruled ineligible caused “immediate, severe, and irreparable consequences.” That’s because UCF was offering him $300,000, contingent on his eligibility. So, the Knights clearly feel they lost out on a massive talent.
The UCF Knights May Be Losing LB Cole Kozlowski in an Eligibility Dispute
GettyThe UCF Knights are bringing back linebacker Cole Kozlowski, following the controversial Colorado court ruling.
Losing Dean Miller wasn’t the only blow that the UCF Knights recently suffered on the defensive side of the ball. It now looks as though they’re going to lose fifth-year linebacker Cole Kozlowski, too.
The NCAA recently changed eligibility rules, eliminating redshirts. Instead, every player has the option to play five seasons moving forward. That, however, didn’t include members of the Class of 2022 who had played four seasons and not used a redshirt.
Kozlowski was made active when a Colorado judge, Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court, ruled that Class of 2022 athletes should be eligible, under certain circumstances. Those included that a player had not gone professional and could not transfer. Kozlowski fit the bill, and UCF moved to bring back a veteran linebacker.
However, last week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay on that Colorado ruling. That directly affects Kozlowski, who will now not be eligible. That is, until the courts can figure out what’s next. It’s now pending an appeal.
This comes at a time when there are court cases regarding eligibility pending all around the country. That includes over the right for former professionals to return to play in college. Judges are ruling differently in different counties and states, creating for a chaotic environment, while conferences are now instituting new rules regarding eligibility. The result? It’s getting hard to figure out who is and isn’t eligible.
“The rules are changing faster than Mario Brothers when you go through warp zones,” coach Scott Frost said on August 10th. “He was cleared to be back and is enrolled in classes, but we’re waiting on a final decision.”
What UCF Has on Defense Without Dean Miller and Cole Kozlowski
GettyUCF Knights mascot Knightro
UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has, for the time being, lost two veteran players on the defensive front seven. That doesn’t mean that UCF is completely without options on the defensive side of the ball, though.
In the linebacker room, Lewis Carter is going to be the star. Alongside Kozlowski a season ago, he led the Knights with 92 tackles. UCF also took Tacket Curtis, Jahleel Culbreath, and Rashad Henry from the Transfer Portal. So, there should be some depth at linebacker.
Along the defensive line, there are more questions. UCF was elite at rushing the passer a season ago, but their two best players were NFL bound there. Not to mention, defensive tackle John Walker transferred to Ohio State. Players like Sincere Edwards are back, but that’s a lot of turnover.
Less impacted by the eligibility rulings is the secondary. There, the Knights have a ton of experience, and if they learn to force more takeaways, they could have one of the better secondaries around.
UCF wants to get to a point where it can compete in the Big 12 with some consistency. It’s a defense capable of getting the job done, but having a bit more depth wouldn’t have hurt.
UCF Edge Rusher Loses Appeal for 2026 Eligibility Amid Chaotic Environment