USC football’s presumed starting left guard DJ Wingfield will likely not take the field this season after a district judge on Monday rejected his plea for a preliminary injunction to extend his playing eligibility by one year. While Wingfield could appeal the decision, it is unlikely to be heard soon enough to play this season.

The ruling is a major hit to the Trojans’ offensive line, taking away another experienced piece from a unit that lost three of its 2024 starters to the transfer portal or the NFL draft. 

The decision also causes what Wingfield’s lawsuit described as “irreparable harm” by voiding a $210,000 name, image and likeness deal between Wingfield and USC and potentially taking away a year he could have played football somewhere else.

“Love the kid. Just really disappointed for him, but obviously we’ve got to move on. These things happen,” said USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley after practice on Tuesday. “A team’s ability to respond to things like that, that’s just part of the path.”

Judge defers to precedent

The NCAA requires players to use all four years of their eligibility over five years, but it has been six since Wingfield, 24, began his college football career at a community college. Wingfield did not play for two of those years due to coronavirus-related extenuating circumstances and an injury, respectively, meaning he has only used three seasons of eligibility.

In his lawsuit against the NCAA, Wingfield said the rule was anticompetitive because it discouraged college players from attending junior or community colleges, where they are less likely to receive NIL deals.

In his ruling, Judge James Selna deferred to a decision made by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2019, saying the NCAA’s eligibility requirements do not need to pass “antitrust scrutiny” due to being unrelated to commerce, unlike NIL. Selna also said he found “no antitrust injury” to the five-year rule, saying it doesn’t significantly impact the labor provided.

“The Court must distinguish between a commercial institution and the commercial rules it promulgates,” Selna wrote in his decision. “The eligibility question is not tethered to the question of compensation or commercial transaction. Accordingly, the Court joins its sister courts in finding that the Five-Year Rule is not commercial.”

While Wingfield’s suit made reference to prior decisions in district courts granting eligibility exemptions for those who spent time in junior colleges, including Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Rutgers safety Jett Elad, Selna said those decisions are not binding and the Ninth Circuit’s is.

NCAA stands by five-year rule

Also on Monday, Selna denied similar bids from UCLA wide receiver Kaedin Robinson and University of San Diego linebacker Jagger Giles. The NCAA also began an effort to challenge the ruling in Elad’s case in July, as reported by Sportico.

In early August, before Selna’s decision was made, Riley criticized the handling of the cases involving Wingfield and others, since they were left without a ruling for months and would have missed critical practice time had the requests been granted.

In an Aug. 4 statement to the Daily Trojan, the NCAA stood by its ruling, saying its eligibility rules are important in enabling “fair competition” and “broad access” to college athletics.

“The NCAA is making changes to modernize college sports but attempts to alter the enforcement of foundational eligibility rules — approved and supported by membership leaders — makes a shifting environment even more unsettled,” the statement read.

The NCAA also said it hopes to partner with Congress to create a concrete standard rather than having various courts make different rulings.

What’s next for USC?

Wingfield, who started 12 games for Purdue last season, would have brought experience to the line, which is presumably made up of redshirt sophomore Elijah Paige at left tackle, redshirt senior J’Onre Reed at center, junior Alani Noa at guard and redshirt sophomore Tobias Raymond at right tackle. 

Before the waiver was denied, Riley said Wingfield was looking “really impressive” in practice and was quickly adjusting to his new team, according to On3.

In late July, Riley said Raymond could move to left guard if Wingfield was unable to join the Trojans, according to the Los Angeles Times, but said that would make tackle a vulnerable position. Redshirt freshman Justin Tauanuu, who Riley said on Monday would “figure prominently” into the offensive line, would presumably step into the right tackle spot in that case.

Riley also mentioned redshirt sophomore Micah Banuelos and redshirt freshman Kaylon Miller as potential options when asked previously, per the L.A. Times.

The season kicks off on Aug. 30 with a game against Missouri State at 4:30 p.m. at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.