On Wednesday, a judge in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in favor of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia, who played two years in the JUCO ranks, was a senior this season and likely played his final season of eligibility in 2024. Pavia sued the NCAA, claiming that his JUCO years should not count toward his NCAA eligibility.

The judge ruled in favor of Pavia and granted him additional eligibility, at least for now. The NCAA could appeal the court’s decision, but given its track record in court, it is unlikely that the NCAA will win an appeal and overturn the court’s decision. If this ruling becomes permanent, it could have a significant impact on BYU.

BYU starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff played his first two years in the JUCO ranks. Retzlaff could be eligible to get those years back. In other words, instead of being a redshirt junior in 2024, he would have been a redshirt freshman. Should he choose to use all of his additional eligibility at BYU, Retzlaff could theoretically be BYU’s starting quarterback for the next three seasons.

Prior to this ruling, the future of the quarterback position at BYU was unclear. Retzlaff is the undisputed starter for the 2025 season, but after that the starting spot would be up for grabs between McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, Noah Lugo and any other quarterback BYU would have added by then. Instead, Retzlaff could be the long-term solution at quarterback for the Cougars.

Retzlaff is not the only BYU player affected by this ruling. There are several BYU players with JUCO connections who could also be granted additional eligibility. Darius Lassiter, Caleb Etienne, Luke To’omalatai, John Taumoepeau, Mory Bamba, Hinckley Ropati and Isaiah Jatta are some notable players who could potentially be granted additional eligibility.