Arizona RB Mahdi, LB Harris practice with Wildcats, ‘remain eligible’ despite NCAA appeal

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted a stay request in the Wisne v. NCAA class-action lawsuit in Colorado, pausing the preliminary injunction that allows high school athletes from the 2022 recruiting class the ability to participate this season.

The stay — for now — pauses Harris and Mahdi’s eligibility to play in games this upcoming season, along with Arizona baseball pitcher Garrett Hicks, who just announced his return to the UA.

“The Tenth Circuit’s decision to stay the preliminary injunction issued by a Colorado federal district court judge in Wisne permits Division I to return to the status quo before the district court intervened,” NCAA chief legal officer Scott Bearby said in a statement. “Effective immediately, the age-based eligibility rules will be implemented as the Division I membership intended.”

Arizona Athletics said Mahdi and Harris “remain eligible” and “will continue to practice with our football team as we continue to monitor the judicial process.”

U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s federal ruling in Colorado earlier this month allowed class of 2022 student-athletes, who weren’t grandfathered in the NCAA’s new five-for-five rule, to compete in the upcoming 2026-27 sports season.

The five-for-five rule allows student-athletes to use up their eligibility in five years — with their eligibility clock starting upon their freshman year in college or after their 19th birthday. Several 2022 athletes competed in four years, but weren’t granted an additional year of eligibility, like Harris and Mahdi, until the federal ruling in Colorado allowed them to return.

Mahdi and Harris, who are both enrolled at the UA and have spent the last two weeks integrating themselves back into the program, participated in individual drills and team periods with the Wildcats on Friday.

The decision to stay the preliminary injunction will only lead to further lawsuits and restraining order requests for the student-athletes who successfully filed restraining orders against the NCAA following the federal ruling in Colorado. With the college football season kicking off this upcoming week, and the Wildcats kicking off in about two weeks, it’s uncertain when Mahdi and Harris will be eligible to play this season.

If Harris and Mahdi are ruled ineligible for the season, it’s likely they’ll still be a part of the program and practice with the team, similar to former UA running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA but practiced with the team in front of NFL scouts throughout the season and was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.

Besides Arizona’s five-for-five players practicing, other notable things happened Friday morning at the Dick Tomey Practice Fields and Davis Sports Center. Here are notes and observations from the Wildcats’ latest training camp session:

– Nebraska transfer Malcolm Hartzog had arguably his best practice of training camp, picking off quarterback Noah Fifita. Hartzog tugged the ball away from freshman receiver Caleb Smith near the sideline. Hartzog — a 5-8, 187-pound slot cornerback — also had a pass breakup covering 6-7, 248-pound tight end Tyler Powell. Hartzog has been a consistent playmaker in Arizona’s defensive secondary. The Treydan Stukes successor has been among the leaders in pass breakups and interceptions this training camp.

– Hutchison Community College (Kansas) defensive line transfer Kevin Moorer sacked Fifita. On the same play, Fifita fired a pass down the field to receiver Giovanni Richardson, which was broken up by UConn safety transfer Lee Molette.

– Arizona’s starting defense in the first team period had Tre Smith, Mays Pese and Moorer on the defensive line, with Taye Brown, Everett Roussaw and Cooper Blomstrom at linebacker, and Dwight Bootle, Hartzog, Molette, Gavin Hunter and Jay’Vion Cole in the secondary.

– The second defensive unit had an all-freshman defensive line of Prince Williams, Kaisi Lafitaga and Keytrin Harris, with Max Harris, Dash Fifita and Jabari Mann at linebacker, and Swayde Griffin, Johno Price, Northern Colorado transfer Cam Chapa, Oregon transfer Daylen Austin and Wyoming transfer Tyrese Boss. Chapa intercepted backup quarterback Sawyer Anderson. Roussaw had a pass breakup.

– Noah Fifita dotted a first-down pass to wide receiver Chris Hunter, who’s been one of Fifita’s top targets in training camp, along with Richardson.

– Cole intercepted Fifita in a 7-on-7 period.

– Freshman kicker and Austin, Texas-area native Ian French made a 57- and 50-yard field goal to end practice on Friday.

– Arizona hosted about a dozen servicemen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at practice. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan talked to the group on the sidelines during a slow period in practice.