Belichick, Tar Heels welcome back kicker after court ruling tied to 5-year eligibility rule

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Kicker Rece Verhoff has returned to North Carolina for a fifth year after a federal court granted high school class of 2022 athletes an additional season of eligibility in a ruling tied to the NCAA’s new eligibility model.

The program first announced Verhoff’s return with a social-media post Wednesday showing him kicking at practice. Coach Bill Belichick said Thursday that the uncertainty as to whether there could be additional court action has created “a little bit of a temporary situation now,” with the Tar Heels less than a month away from their opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

“Certainly he was a great teammate for us last year,” Belichick said before the morning practice. “So we welcomed him back. We’ll see what happens with this process. That’s all out of our control. There are multiple other legal situations going on that could directly or indirectly involve him.

“But as it stands right now, we’ll proceed with what appears to be the current ruling.”

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado issued her ruling last Friday, impacting athletes who began college careers in the 2022-23 season and completed four seasons of eligibility. The judge later clarified that it does not apply to football players who signed pro contracts over the summer.

It comes after the NCAA approved its so-called “five for five” rule in June. That allowed Division I athletes to have five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

That was set to take effect for athletes enrolling in college for fall 2027. But it ultimately led to lawsuits from athletes in the 2022 class seeking the fifth year, some of which were filed in state courts in Tennessee and Georgia.

It’s unclear exactly how many athletes could ultimately find their way back to campuses, though reigning national champion Indiana has welcomed back defensive end Stephen Daley, an example Belichick cited Thursday.

Verhoff began a three-year stay at Marshall in fall 2022, then transferred to UNC last year for a fourth season. Verhoff made 19 of 23 field goals and all 20 of his extra-point attempts in what was set to be his fourth and final college season.

“Rece went here so that really made him eligible based on one set of rulings.” Belichick said. “There are other rulings out there that are in dispute. And so similar to the situation at Indiana yesterday that Coach (Curt) Cignetti talked about, pretty much the same thing here. He’s come back to the school that he was at last year. And that’s where it’s at.”

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