C.J. Riley, Dylan Autenrieth granted 6th year of eligibility by NCAA

Both C.J. Riley and Dylan Autenrieth suffered season-ending knee injuries early in the 2019 campaign, and in what is perhaps a minor miracle, both have been granted a sixth year by the NCAA. (Hat tip to The Wolfpacker.) This means they each have two seasons of eligibility left, effectively giving them a do-over for last season.

Riley, who was expected to be an important part of the passing game thanks to his wheels, didn’t even make it out of the season-opener before getting hurt. Autenrieth, who is a team captain and an excellent run-blocking tight end, suffered his injury in the third week.

Since neither made it through a quarter of the season, a medical hardship waiver makes perfect sense, but you just never know how the NCAA is gonna be feeling on any given day (see: Terry Henderson). This time around, they were feeling sympathetic.

I’m happy for those two, and there’s no question that they can be important factors in getting the program back on track.