One of the more interesting situations in the 2024 college football season has been unfolding at Arizona with an NCAA eligibility concern.
Star running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt entered the fall as one of the league’s 1000-yard rushers, but with some concern regarding his eligibility status in limbo, the Wildcats have only used Croskey-Merritt once.
Ahead of one of the biggest games of the Big 12 season for Arizona, Brent Brennan‘s group will be without Croskey-Merritt vs. No. 10 Utah in Week 5.
“Starting running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is expected to miss the game as the Wildcats wait on the NCAA to make a determination on Croskey-Merritt’s eligibility,” 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz said ahead of Week 3’s matchup vs. Kansas State. “It stems from Croskey-Merritt’s freshman season at Alabama State in 2019 and questions whether Croskey-Merritt actually redshirted that season. It’s a bit complicated (and weird).”
The full breakdown of Croskey-Merritt’s eligibility discrepancy stems from his 2019 season at Alabama State, which he and the university claim was a redshirt season. ESPN’s stats show that Corskey-Merritt suited up and took the field in eight games, four more than the minimum allowed to take a redshirt.
However, Alabama State believes that Croskey-Merrit played in the four games he was allowed to play and then switched numbers with a fellow running back partway through the season, who went on to play four more games, which caused the confusion.
After suiting up in Week 1 against his former team, New Mexico, Croskey-Merritt was held out of the Wildcats’ Week 2 win over Northern Arizona, a Week 3 loss to Kansas State, and in Week 5 vs. Utah. The team continues to wait for the NCAA to investigate the situation and determine a ruling on his status for the 2024 college football season.
Arizona and Utah kick off their Week 5 matchup on Saturday, September 28th, at 9:15 p.m. CT.
