The NCAA’s been in choppy waters ever since the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era began. Legal fights over athlete eligibility keep popping up, and one case that’s grabbed plenty of attention is former Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris.
Morris tried to get a judge to grant him a seventh season, but no luck—a preliminary injunction was denied. Just like that, his long-shot bid for another year was over.
The Legal Battle for a Seventh Year
Chandler Morris, son of Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, wrapped up his sixth college season at the end of 2025. His NCAA run’s been a wild ride, with high points on the field and injuries that kept sidelining him.
Despite his efforts, the NCAA said no to a seventh season. They’re not exactly known for flexibility, are they?
Morris’s College Football Journey
He started out at Oklahoma, sitting behind Spencer Rattler and Tanner Mordecai. In his freshman year, Morris went 3-for-5 for 35 yards and rushed for 44 yards with two touchdowns.
He clearly had potential, but transferred to TCU hoping for more snaps. At TCU, Morris redshirted in 2021, then stepped up when Max Duggan got hurt.
He completed 50 of 76 passes for 695 yards and three touchdowns, plus 83 rushing yards and another score. Then a knee injury early in 2022 knocked him out of the starting job, and he only played three games that season.
After Duggan left, Morris got another shot as starter in 2023. Unfortunately, he was injured again in October.
He still managed 1,532 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, five picks, and added 249 rushing yards and three more touchdowns before his time at TCU ended.
North Texas and Virginia: The Final Stops
In 2024, Morris transferred to North Texas and finally had an injury-free season. He put up 3,774 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns.
That year, he landed on the All-AAC Second Team. Then came Virginia—the last stop. In 2025, he threw for 3,000 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, leading the Cavaliers to an 11-3 record.
Still, the NCAA wouldn’t budge. His college career, after all those ups and downs, ended there.
Other Notable Eligibility Cases
Morris isn’t the only one who’s been tangled up in NCAA eligibility drama. Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia got another season in 2025 because he couldn’t get NIL money at junior college.
And Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss got an extra year in 2026 after sitting out two seasons at Ferris State, one due to injury. So, it’s not like there aren’t exceptions—just not for everyone.
Virginia’s Quarterback Situation Moving Forward
With Morris gone, Virginia dipped into the transfer portal to fill out their quarterback room. They picked up two Power Four starters: Eli Holstein and Beau Pribula.
Holstein redshirted at Alabama in 2023, then started at Pittsburgh in 2024. Over two years, he threw for 3,306 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Pribula spent two seasons backing up Drew Allar at Penn State before starting at Missouri in 2025. In three seasons, he’s thrown for 2,365 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, plus 868 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Virginia’s got some real experience in the QB room now. Let’s see where that takes them next season.
Chandler Morris’s legal fight with the NCAA really brings out just how tangled and unpredictable athlete eligibility has become in the NIL era.
His push for a seventh season didn’t pan out, but you can’t help but respect his grit through all those years in college football.
If you want to dig deeper into Chandler Morris’s situation, check out the full story on Sports Illustrated.
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