A pair of former Mississippi State football players are suing the NCAA to earn an extra year of eligibility, though their conference’s new rule may complicate things.
Jahron Manning and Malick Sylla on Tuesday took to the Oktibbeha County Chancery Court to circumvent college athletics’ governing body’s eligibility rules. Though the NCAA recently adopted an age-based regulation where athletes have five years of eligibility, the rule excluded high school class of 2022 players.
Both Manning and Sylla began their playing days in 2022 and argue that they are entitled to another season. They are represented by Columbus attorney and Mississippi State graduate Douglas Ford. The case was assigned to Chancery Court Judge Joseph Studdard, who earned his undergraduate degree at Mississippi State before going through law school at Ole Miss.
Before they sued the NCAA in a Mississippi court, a Colorado judge’s blanket ruling had opened the door for class of 2022 athletes to earn a fifth season of college eligibility. That order has since been usurped by a federal appeals court, though players can still take their individual cases to local courthouses.
Manning, a safety, is looking to return to Mississippi State after attending the Atlanta Falcons’ rookie minicamp and signing with the Indoor Football League’s Orlando Pirates in the offseason. This past season, he tallied 91 total tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception. He transferred to Mississippi State in 2025 after having played at the junior college ranks and for Old Dominion.
Sylla, an edge rusher, had a team-leading seven tackles for loss and two sacks for the maroon and white during the 2025-26 campaign. He spent his first three seasons at Texas A&M and was not picked up by an NFL franchise during the most recent draft or in free agency. He did, however, ink a contract with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes.
While the the players could argue in court that they only signed with professional teams because the NCAA didn’t announce its new eligibility rule until after the spring semester, their case is now no longer applicable within the SEC.
The SEC on Tuesday, after Manning and Sylla took their cases to court, passed new rules banning professional athletes from playing at member schools. The conference announced the rule after reaching consensus agreement from all of its member institutions, including LSU, whose football program has attempted to add NFL players to its roster.
On the Mississippi State front, the rule prohibits players who signed with any professional football league from returning to the SEC as a student-athlete. So, if Manning and Sylla were to get injunctive relief against the NCAA, the SEC could enforce its rule and punish Mississippi State for letting them play.
Following meetings with the Presidents, Chancellors, and Athletics Directors of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC will enforce the following policy: pic.twitter.com/LohWnb7G1J
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 25, 2026
Mississippi State kicks off the regular season in just 10 days. The Bulldogs, led by third-year head coach Jeff Lebby, will face Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 5.