NC State coach Dave Doeren on possible extra eligibility for JUCO players: ‘There’s going to be a lot of questions’

As college football coaches work to navigate a busy time on the calendar, which includes the transfer portal and bowl game preparations, a new wrinkle was tossed into it earlier this week. 

U.S. District Court Judge William Cambell ruled in favor of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who sued the NCAA to earn his eligibility back from the time he spent at the junior college level, on Wednesday. Although it is currently a preliminary injunction, which will likely be challenged by the NCAA’s lawyers, the decision to allow Pavia to gain another year of eligibility could open a larger can of worms nationally. 

Pavia’s lawsuit only pertained to himself, so it was not a broad-reaching case to involve every player with junior college experience, but it set a legal precedent for what could happen in the coming months. And if it expands to all junior college players, NC State could have multiple players on the roster that could gain more eligibility, including left tackle Anthony Belton and safety Bishop Fitzgerald. 

NC State coach Dave Doeren doesn’t have all of the information on it yet, but believed it could be a positive for those on his team moving forward.

“I haven’t had a lot of time to process it,” Doeren said Thursday. “I’m happy for the guys on our team that get to benefit from that. There’s going to be a lot of questions. Every decision has unintended consequences as well. I haven’t seen what those are yet.

“There are guys on our team that are from junior colleges that are excited today. They were. They know they have another year or two of eligibility to finish a degree, to start a master’s, to play with their brothers and have the option of moving on to the NFL or staying for an extra year or two.”

NC State has found success recruiting from the junior college level since Doeren arrived in Raleigh. Fitzgerald was the No. 1 JUCO safety when he emerged from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College ahead of the 2023 season, while former edge rusher Red Hibbler was the No. 3 defensive lineman in the country out of Northwest Mississippi Community College. Belton, meanwhile, played one season at Georgia Military College and was Preseason All-American at the JUCO level. 

Those three players all made impacts at NC State. Belton has been the Wolfpack’s starting tackle for the past three seasons, garnering NFL Draft buzz this fall, while Fitzgerald started at free safety in place of Devan Boykin this past season. Hibbler led the Wolfpack in sacks with 6.5 during the 2023 season before opting to redshirt and transfer this past campaign. 

Doeren has always believed in recruiting the junior colleges, but if future recruits from that level are able to enter Division I with four years of eligibility, then the 12th-year coach saw a lot of positives that NC State and other FBS teams could take advantage of. 

“It’s like you’re recruiting a prep school or mission trip player now that comes in two years older, with the same eligibility as a high school player,” Doeren said. “There’s going to be a lot of eyes on the junior colleges. I don’t know if that’ll help their enrollment now or what. It’s unique to be able to take a guy that’s now going to be 20 instead of 18 that has the same eligibility. He’s been developed a little bit, he’s played more. I see a lot of benefit in that.”

It’s unclear what rule changes Pavia’s court case will cause as the NCAA has been publicly for counting junior college experience against Division I, II or III eligibility. But it could have major ramifications in the future, including less roster spots for high school players and more junior college recruits on FBS rosters nationally.

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