Defensive lineman Jack Pyburn was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and could be the latest player who tries to go back to college after spending time in an NFL camp.
Pyburn was among the cuts on the day NFL teams reduced their rosters to 53. He could now try to get a fifth year of eligibility if he is not claimed on waivers by another team Monday. He'll become a free agent if he's not picked up and is among the players granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana court earlier this month that would make them eligible to return to college athletics. Pyburn's likely landing spot would be LSU.
Four other players who spent time on NFL rosters this offseason before being cut were also part of the case: former LSU running back TJ Harden, former Mississippi tight end Dae'Quan Wright, former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson.
These players all entered the NFL draft process because they had used up their four years of eligibility. The NCAA announced a rule change in June allowing players who began college in 2023 or later to have five years to play five seasons.
That rule didn’t apply to these players because they entered college in 2022. They have sued the NCAA, arguing they’re being deprived of education and potential name, image and likeness benefits by being excluded from the rule.
The Power Four conferences have all ruled that players who signed NFL contracts are ineligible to return to college, but those rules remain in legal limbo until court cases are resolved. The Southeastern Conference's rule is part of a court hearing scheduled for Thursday. SEC rosters become final Friday.
Under NFL rules, any player who returns to college for any time will be ineligible to play this season. Those players would become free agents who are free to sign with any team in 2027.
Here's a look at some of the players who spent time in NFL camps this summer and now might return to college:
Pyburn originally signed as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay in May. He played in two exhibition games and led the NFL with four sacks in the preseason. Pyburn played his first three college seasons at Florida and spent last season at LSU.
Harden signed as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland in May before getting waived Aug. 3. He then signed with Seattle three days later and appeared in one exhibition game, gaining 1 yard on two carries and recovering a fumbled punt. He was waived Aug. 17 by the Seahawks. Harden played three years in college at UCLA and finished last season at SMU. He rushed for 2,445 yards and 21 TDs in 44 career games.
Harden is part of the lawsuit in Louisiana and is reportedly interested in playing for Missouri or Kentucky.
Wright originally signed as an undrafted free agent with Philadelphia in the spring but was waived by the Eagles on Aug. 10. He was claimed by Cleveland the next day and spent nearly two weeks with the Browns before getting waived again on Aug. 23. Wright didn't appear in a preseason game. Wright played his first two seasons in college at Virginia Tech and final two at Mississippi. He had 113 catches for 1,603 yards and five TDs in 47 career games.
Wright is part of the lawsuit in Louisiana and wants to play for his former Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin, at LSU.
Harris originally signed as an undrafted free agent with New Orleans in May and began training camp with the Saints. He was waived on Aug. 8 before the first preseason game. Harris played four seasons in college at Ole Miss and had 5 1/2 sacks in 52 games. He had two of his career-high nine tackles for loss last season in the College Football Playoff.
Wright is part of the lawsuit in Louisiana and also wants to play for Kiffin at LSU.
Hankerson originally signed as an undrafted free agent with Miami in the spring and began camp with the Dolphins. He was waived on Aug. 10 and signed a week later with Seattle. He spent one week with the Seahawks before getting waived again on Aug. 24. Hankerson had five carries for 10 yards and two catches for 9 yards for Seattle in an exhibition game against Tennessee on Aug. 23. Hankerson played his first two seasons in college at Colorado and the final two at Oregon State. He rushed for 2,761 yards and 28 TDs in 44 career games and had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Beavers.
Hankerson is part of the lawsuit in Louisiana and could try to return to Oregon State.
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Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Jack Pyburn (58) looks on during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Open's Sunday start gives some players a chance to get a nice head start. For Novak Djokovic, it turned into a stunning head start back to the airport.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was knocked out in the first round of the U.S. Open for the first time, beaten by Mariano Navone of Argentina 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Djokovic was 19-0 in the U.S. Open first round and hadn't lost his opening match in any major since the 2006 Australian Open.
“It’s a good record, another one. But yeah, I’m not really thinking about it,” Djokovic said. “Of course, I’ve been very proud of all the achievements in the past, but now is now.”
And now the No. 4 seed and four-time champion in Flushing Meadows looks every bit of his 39 years, vomiting and battling leg problems during a match that lasted more than 4 1/2 hours.
“Now I have to recover,” Navone said. "It’s almost 12 o’clock.”
It made for a lengthy first day of play, with Venus Williams and fellow wild card Sofia Kenin not getting on the court until past midnight — after their match was set to move to another stadium but the players decided to wait and keep it in the main venue.
Nearly 12 hours earlier, third-seeded Jessica Pegula again experienced the benefits of the Sunday start that began last year.
“It is a little bit weird, but I did kind of enjoy that I could breathe for the next couple of days and everyone else is still freaking out about whether they’re going to win their first round,” she said.
Djokovic later experienced the downside.
“We were just talking about it, and I said, it’s so nice to play on Sunday when you win. But if you lose it’s not nice, because you feel like the tournament didn’t even start and you’re out of it,” No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk said.
Pegula and Kostyuk both won easily and now the get the benefit of any extra day of rest before returning for the second round, where Pegula would play either Williams or Kenin.
Pegula leads the women’s tour with 46 wins this season. She has two titles and has reached three other finals. Pegula can become No. 1 in the rankings if she wins her first major title and No. 2 Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinals.
The No. 11-seeded Kostyuk beat Storm Hunter 6-4, 6-1 for a strong start to the year's final major after reaching the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Some of the biggest headliners don’t begin until Monday. Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka plays her opening match against Camila Osorio, before Carlos Alcaraz, who won his second U.S. Open title last year, plays his first singles match since April after recovering from a right wrist injury.
Past U.S. Open champions Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, Sloane Stephens and Stan Wawrinka are also on the Monday schedule, along with Wimbledon women’s champion Linda Noskova and men’s contenders such as Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, shook off his miserable preparation for the tournament by beating Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. The No. 7 seed was just 1-3 in the North American hard-court swing, usually a time he thrives.
“Last couple of weeks was not easy,” Medvedev said. “But I’m happy that today I managed to produce high-level tennis.”
Other winners Sunday included No. 9 Elina Svitolina, No. 19 Jasmine Paolini and No. 31 Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up. No. 27 seed Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, lost 7-6 (4), 6-2 to Kamilla Rakhimova.
American Tommy Paul, the No. 20 seed, bounced back from losing a first-set tiebreak to Coleman Wong to win 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Wong a year ago became the first man from Hong Kong to win an Open-era Grand Slam men’s singles match on the way to reaching the round of 32.
Seven matches couldn't be completed because of rain — and one was delayed even though it was being played in the other stadium with a retractable roof. There was a mechanical issue with one of the sensors at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and even after the roof finally closed, the court had to be dried before No. 15 seed Alexander Bublik beat J.J. Wolf.
Maric Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, and 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud both withdrew with injuries.
Though the main draws didn't begin until Sunday, action at the U.S. Open has already been going on for nearly a week. Large crowds gathered for the mixed doubles tournament, an exhibition headlined by Roger Federer's return to Flushing Meadows and the singles qualifying tournaments, with admission to the grounds free.
Fans who came for the first time Sunday may have noticed a tournament in transition. The U.S. Open is in the second year of a three-year renovation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The improvements in the $800 million project include the addition of some lower-level seating, upgrades and additions of entertainment areas and the construction of a player performance center.
“Please pardon our appearance while we are reimagining spectacular,” reads a sign above the entrance to Ashe.
The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027 U.S. Open.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Mariano Navone, of Argentina, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, returns the ball to Hugo Gaston, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, reacts following a match against Storm Hunter, of Australia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, gestures after she defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, in the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, returns the ball to Elena-Gabriela Ruse, of Romania, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Barbora Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball to Kamilla Rakhimova, of Uzbekistan, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Jasmine Paolini, of Italy, reacts during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Veronika Erjavec, of Slovenia, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
