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Arizona Wildcats gain eligibility for players ahead of BYU matchup

Ismail Mahdi and Max Harris are now eligible to play for Arizona against BYU.

Lena Quill

September 10, 20261 min read

The Arizona Wildcats have received a boost to their roster as a judge in Pima County issued a temporary restraining order allowing running back Ismail Mahdi, linebacker Max Harris, and punter Sullivan Moon to participate in the upcoming season.

This ruling comes amid an ongoing legal dispute involving the NCAA and the class of 2022 players who believe they were unfairly affected by the NCAA's five-in-five eligibility ruling.

Mahdi and Harris are set to return for Arizona's game against No. 15 BYU after missing last week's matchup against NAU. Both players were significant contributors last season, with Mahdi leading the team in rushing yards and Harris ranking third in combined tackles.

Their experience is expected to enhance Arizona's performance, particularly against a BYU defense that previously limited Utah Tech to just 49 rushing yards.

The return of Mahdi is particularly important for Arizona's run game, as his presence alongside Kedrick Reescano could help create opportunities for quarterback Noah Fifita. Harris's experience will also add depth to the linebacker position, which showed vulnerabilities in the previous game, particularly in the secondary.

Sullivan Moon, a transfer from Colorado Mesa, has been practicing with the team but is expected to be behind freshman Chase Ridley and junior Carter Schwartz on the depth chart.

It remains unclear whether Arizona will activate these players for the game against BYU, but their eligibility could influence the preparations of both teams ahead of the Saturday matchup, which is scheduled to kick off at 12:30 PM PT on FOX.

Source: si.com.

Sources

https://www.si.com/college/arizona/football/arizona-ismail-mahdi-max-harris-gain-eligibility-ahead-of-byu-game

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Lena Quill

Lena Quill covers Queen Creek high school and area college sports.

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