The college sports landscape will be altered by the implementation of the 5-for-5 rule

The 5-for-5 rule should make Denzel Aberdeen eligible without a waiver (Photo by Chris Spears)

“Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call

Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall

For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled

The battle outside ragin’

Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls

For the times, they are a-changin'” – Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”

Yes, the times are changing and for once, the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, did something reasonably intelligent by making the first move. At least some faction of the 5-for-5 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, is about to become part of the NCAA rulebook. Congress would really like to enact this into law – emphasis on would really like to – but Charlie Baker, who heads up the NCAA knows how these guys work and it could be months, even years, before they agree on anything even though there is probably a majority of them who understand the critical juncture we’re in with college sports.

There are some kinks that will have to be worked out of the 5-for-5 rule. The way it is being proposed is five years eligibility from high school graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. But what about junior college kids? What about kids who spend a post-graduation year at prep school? Florida’s Tommy Haugh did that. After graduating high school in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, he spent a year at the Perkiomen School in Pennsylvania before he signed with Todd Golden and the Gators.

The ripple effect of the new rule will force the NCAA to address so many contingencies, but most coaches in all sports would agree the foundation of the change has been too long in the making. Better late than never, though.

Monday we saw the immediate impact of 5-by-5 when the transfer portal became flooded with 4^th-year guys who posed for photos with their parents, hugged their coaches, and got framed jerseys on senior nights back in March. In anticipation of being grandfathered in when the NCAA votes to formally approve a 5-for-5 rule that has already gone through committee approval, SEC players such as LSU’s Max Mackinnon, Texas A&M’s Marcus Hill and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel put their names in the portal. Seth Trimble, an All-ACC point guard at North Carolina, joined in as did Darrion Williams, the former Texas Tech All-Big 12 stud, who spent last season at North Carolina State. The list goes on and on.

When the rule is approved it will end the need for Denzel Aberdeen to get a waiver to play a fifth year now that he’s back home at the University of Florida after a 1-year hiatus – think of it as a paid vacation – to Kentucky. Aberdeen’s return along with that of Alex Condon, who will forego the draft to return to UF for his senior season, is why the Gators are top five in every way too early top 25. Rueben Chinyelu declared for the draft Monday, but he’s keeping his option open to return. He’s going for the evaluations at the draft combine in Chigago in mid-May. He went last year, got advice on where his game needed work, and came back to UF where he was one of the nation’s most improved players. What worked once is probably 99 percent likely to work again. He’ll get the evaluations, forego the draft and return to the Gators, who could win their second national championship in three years.

This sweeping change is going to alter the college basketball landscape significantly. For example, Tarris Ross Jr., who had such a brilliant NCAA Tournament run for UConn, is projected to be selected midway through the second round of the NBA Draft in June. He now has the option of returning for year five unless he wows everyone at the draft combine and pushes his draft stock into the first round. First round contracts are all multi-year and all with guaranteed money. Second round contracts are rarely multi-year and for only a fraction of the first round money. In other words, Ross can make more money back at UConn, where his presence along with Braylon Mullins and Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia would solidify the Huskies as one of the three or four favorites to win it all next year.

Zuby Ejiofor returning to St. John’s is another possibility. He’s undersized as an NBA center but there is no questioning his impact on the college game.

What’s going on in basketball is just the beginning. At the University of Florida, for example, All-American gymnast Selena Harris-Miranda has the option of returning for one more year. The Gators finished third at last weekend’s NCAA Championships. She could make a difference and her return could give the Gators a legitimate shot at their first NCAA title since the Bridget Sloan-led three-peat that concluded in 2014.

Down the road we could see athletes in other sports who are fourth-year seniors elect to return for a fifth year. A 4^th-year quarterback who projects as a late rounder largely due to a small sample size of starts will now have the option to return for one more year to build a résumé worthy of the first or second round of the NFL Draft.

So, brace yourself. Change is coming and for once applaud the NCAA for going pro-active with rule changes that are long overdue.

CHINYELU AND THE NBA DRAFT

Take a deep breath and step back from the ledge. Unless we have a miracle of the walls of Jericho tumbling down proportions, Rueben Chinyelu will be back next season. By declaring for the NBA Draft he will get an invitation to the pre-draft combine in Chicago in mid-May. He went there last year, got several days of competition and coaching then returned to Florida where he became one of the nation’s most improved players in 2025-26. Chinyelu was the national defensive player of the year and one of the top rebounders in the country.

What he lacked was consistency in his offensive game and range outside three feet. Even with these flaws he will get drafted but he’s not going to be a first rounder. To push his way into the first round, he will have to show more offensive moves, a shot that is accurate up to 10 feet from the basket, and rather than rely on that baby hook a penchant for power dunks on his stickbacks. During last season scouts wanted to see Rueben power through contact for dunks, which would also lead to more trips to the foul line.

In Chicago he will get the evaluations he needs and unless he has developed a more sophisticated offensive game in the weeks since the Gators lost their NCAA Tournament second round game to Iowa, he will be assured of second round status when the NBA drafts. He will make more money returning to Florida, have the opportunity to show his newly developed skills against good competition both in practice and in games next season, and he will have a chance to help the Gators win their second NCAA championship in three years.

Barring something totally unforeseen, Rueben will be back.

TODD GOLDEN ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE

With speculation mounting that long-time Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr might call it a career and retire, the name Todd Golden is being floated as a potential replacement. Would Todd leave the University of Florida to coach in the NBA? It’s a reasonable question to ask, but the likelihood that it happens seems rather slim at this particular moment.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin is working on a new contract that will keep Golden at UF many more years while giving him a nice raise from the already $6.75 million (plus bonuses) that place him among the six or seven highest paid college coaches in the country. The new contract will likely be in the $9-10 million range which would surpass what Kansas pays Bill Self, currently the nation’s highest paid at $8.8 million.

It’s worth noting that there is no state income tax in Florida and the cost of living is significantly less than San Francisco. If Golden were to take the Warriors job he would subject himself to a 13.3 percent state income tax and a mandatory one percent “mental health” tax. Add the federal income tax of 37 percent and more than half Golden’s salary would be eaten up by taxes.

From a purely financial standpoint, staying at Florida makes much more sense. Plus, at Florida, Golden is well on his way to legendary status thanks to an NCAA championship in year three and getting to 100 wins quicker than any coach in school history. If Rueben Chinyelu comes back – 99 percent likely – and Tommy Haugh defies the odds by returning rather than stay in the NBA Draft where he’s likely a lottery pick, Florida will be favored to win another national championship.

If Golden were to leave for Golden State he would inherit an aging roster whose cornerstone stars – Steph Curry (38) and Draymond Green (36) – aren’t exactly spring chickens.

Golden is 40 years old, already with seven years head coaching experience in Division I. If he were to remain at Florida 10 more years, he would still be 50 years old, still young enough in the eyes of the NBA.

The verdict: Anything is possible, but in this case extraordinarily improbable. Figure he’s not going anywhere at least for awhile.