Clemson receiver granted injunction to play for Tigers in 2026

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Yet another college football player seeking additional eligibility has won his day in court.

On Friday, a South Carolina court granted Clemson receiver Tristan Smith a preliminary injunction that will allow him to play for the Tigers in 2026. Smith sued the NCAA in January after he was denied a fifth-year waiver.

Smith's lawyers cited similar eligibility cases in which players were granted an additional year. Specifically, they argued that Smith should be allowed to play for the same reason Diego Pavia was granted an additional season in 2025.

All players in the 2024-25 graduating class were granted a blanket extra year of eligibility if they had previously played junior college football. That did not apply to members of the 2025-26 class like Smith, who began his career in junior college before playing at FCS Southeast Missouri State, where he played before joining the Tigers.

Smith started four games for the Tigers this past season, finishing the year with 24 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Clemson football WR Tristan Smith granted injunction for eligibility

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