Back in July, Indiana defensive linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley were ruled eligible for the 2026 college football season. The decision from a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado gave thousands of athletes in the high school Class of 2022 additional eligibility following the implementation of the NCAA's new five-in-five rule.
Since then, both Wyatt and Daley have been locked in back-and-forth eligibility chaos. After the NCAA won a legal appeal, Wyatt and Daley's eligibility was then put on hold. However, a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Monroe Circuit Court once again made them eligible. They were eligible in Weeks 1 and 2 of the new season, but then hit another snag. That TRO expired last week, which led to Wyatt and Daley being ineligible for Indiana's Week 3 matchup against Western Kentucky.
But the latest development in this saga makes Wyatt and Daley eligible again. What chaos!
Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley ruled eligible after winning preliminary injunction
According to Pete Thamel, Wyatt and Daley have been granted a temporary injunction in local court that paves the way for their return to the gridiron. The Hoosiers are set to take on Northwestern in their Big Ten opener on Friday night, and both Wyatt and Daley are now eligible to play in that contest.
Sources: Indiana defensive linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley were granted an injunction today in local court that paves the way to make them eligible for the 2026 season. Their TRO had expired and they missed WKU game. The NCAA will likely appeal. pic.twitter.com/GN42FBZOw6
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 23, 2026
While this chaotic back-and-forth eligibility roller coaster continues to be a terrible look for the NCAA, getting Wyatt and Daley back brings valuable depth to Indiana's defensive front. Playing against three lesser opponents in the non-conference slate, the Hoosiers haven't been overly dominant in the trenches. Indiana has the talent and experience to have a defensive front that is among the best in all of college football, and getting Wyatt and Daley back in the mix certainly helps with that effort.
Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley returning gives Northwestern more problems to worry about
Daley was one of the most impactful pass rushers in the country last season. He finished third in all of college football with 19 tackles for loss last season. He also added 5.5 sacks, 35 tackles, and a pair of forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he missed Indiana's College Football Playoff run due to a season-ending knee injury he suffered after the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State. Daley appeared in Indiana's Week 1 and Week 2 games, recording 6.0 tackles.
Indiana Football vs. Northwestern: How to watch, injuries, odds, and predictions
Like Daley, Wyatt also suffered a season-ending injury last season. Wyatt's came earlier in the season on October 18 against Michigan State. Prior to that, he had collected 28 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks over the course of 7 games. While he was eligible for the first two weeks of the season, he has yet to record any stats in 2026. But that could change on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
Generating pressure on Northwestern QB Aidan Chiles will be a big point of emphasis for Indiana in this matchup. Chiles has shown strong improvements early on this season after struggling at Michigan State, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is sure to get creative when utilizing him in both the run and pass game.
But Kelly will undoubtedly have his hands full trying to figure out a vaunted IU defensive front that includes defensive tackles Tyrique Tuckerand Mario Landino, EDGE rushers Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor, as well as linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones.
Add us as a preferred source on Google