Court Ruling Opens Door for Michigan to Add Former Miami, Boise State Player Midseason

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We've all been waiting to see which college football programs will potentially add players to their rosters during the season via court order, and now we may have our answer.

The Michigan Wolverines are about to enter the transfer window and sign two players who could help them at multiple positions this season. Yes, I said this season.

Former Miami Hurricanes tight end Alex Bowman and former Boise State defensive end Jeremiah Earby are now legally allowed to play this season thanks to a temporary restraining order issued by a Washtenaw County District Court judge.

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In fact, both registered in Michigan after a judge in the state granted them the option to register.

The temporary restraining order allowed any player to enter the transfer portal, although it is no coincidence that the orders were granted in the Ann Arbor area.

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If you're wondering how Earby and Bauman are allowed to return to college football outside of the professional rules established by the Big Ten Conference, it all comes down to the fact that neither player has signed with an NFL team.

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When the NCAA instituted new guidelines on how many years an athlete must compete at the collegiate level, it sparked a flurry of lawsuits against the organization by members of the Class of 2022 who felt left out.

Jeremiah Erby didn't get a chance at the pro level after playing for Boise State last season and recording 60 tackles. So, after going through the NFL process, he decided to try his hand at filing a lawsuit that would allow him to play one more season of college football.

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For Baumann, he was a member of the 2025 Miami Hurricanes team that played for the national championship against Indiana. The wide receiver spent three years at Tulane before playing for Mario Cristobal, and his prolific 2024 season drew enough attention to land him in Miami.

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The question now is whether Kyle Whittingham will officially add the two players to Michigan's roster as they are currently 3-2 on the season as they prepare to play Penn State this weekend in Ann Arbor.

As for Jeremiah Erby and Alex Bowman, they are enrolled at Michigan, but have not yet signed with the Wolverines as of Wednesday afternoon.

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In recent months, there have been a number of athletes who have received court rulings similar to these two players.

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The school would not comment on the matter, given that both players have yet to officially sign with Michigan.

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But these court cases don't come off especially well when they're being heard in a schoolyard.

The NCAA ignored the warnings. It is now fighting for survival in courts across America with more jurisdiction

The latest measure, which would give a player one more year of eligibility and then use a court-ordered transfer window, has commissioners across the country wondering how to turn around these cases that are won in court.

For the NCAA, all they can do is continue to fight these lawsuits, given that they could have added these athletes to their new rules.

Welcome to the chaos of college athletics in 2026.

Terry Wallace is the senior college sports reporter for OutKick.