The Shea Patterson ruling cracked the door. Thursday, Thomas Mars’ righteous tenacity kicked the door wide open for his remaining clients.
Throughout the evening, it was confirmed that five players who had transferred from Ole Miss in the midst of sanctions levied on the football program had been granted a waiver by the NCAA that allows them to compete immediately at their new schools. The quintet impacted by today’s confirmations include defensive back Deontay Anderson (Houston), offensive tackle Jack DeFoor (Georgia Tech), Breon Dixon (Nebraska), wide receiver Tre Nixon (UCF) and linebacker Jarrion Street (UAB).
All of those players were 2016 signees who will have three years of eligibility remaining, and all five will likely contribute to their new teams immediately in 2018.
Cleared to go! Deontay Anderson ruled eligible to compete this season for the #HTownTakeover & has three years of eligibility remaining!
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) May 10, 2018
Full info: https://t.co/EDWBZxlXvI pic.twitter.com/XCbIwkW9A7
Gods plan it’s all a blessing.. see ya in the fall Husker Nation ‼️☠️ #BackToWork 🤫
— Breon 🧑🍳👑 (@Breondixon_4) May 10, 2018
Jarrion Street has OFFICIALLY been ruled eligible by the NCAA for the 2018 season! pic.twitter.com/t2K5vtyzZM
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) May 10, 2018
Go time for @tre_nixon1 🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/7hernM1Jvc
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) May 10, 2018
The Patterson decision, announced late last month and which granted him immediate eligibility at Michigan, came after the quarterback’s new school and his old school, Ole Miss, “worked together over the last several days in conjunction with the NCAA national office staff, and with a focus on the best interest of the student-athlete, to put forward a new waiver application.” That resolution certainly paved the way for these collective decisions less than two weeks later, and decisions that were the absolute correct ones for the student-athletes involved.