A new wave of chaos appears headed for college athletics — but it could benefit at least the BYU men’s basketball program.
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Last Friday, a Colorado judge ruled that athletes from the high school graduating class of 2022 who recently exhausted their NCAA eligibility are now eligible to compete in college for another season.
The preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Denver comes after the NCAA approved a new eligibility model giving athletes five years to play five seasons — often referred to as “five in five” — which was set to be implemented in 2027.
But Sweeney’s ruling requires the NCAA to begin honoring “five in five” privileges even earlier, starting with athletes who began their college careers in the 2022-23 campaign and were classified as seniors in 2025-26.
While the NCAA has voiced its displeasure on the matter and plans for an expedited appeal to overrule Sweeney’s decision, the ruling will likely stand, thus putting thousands of fifth-year players back on the field in college.
The market for newly-eligible players, however, will be rather complicated. The specifics of transferring are still unclear. Many programs have already filled out their rosters and allocated their funds for the coming season.
The BYU men’s basketball team currently has two open roster spots left to fill — along with a glaring need at the center position. Polish big man Jakub Urbaniak did reportedly commit to the Cougars in July, but the new pool of fifth-year players now offers head coach Kevin Young and his staff more options to add depth in the post.
One name seems to stand far above the rest.
Jaxon Kohler spent the past four seasons at Michigan State, where he appeared in 127 games, helped the Spartans win eight NCAA Tournament contests and reached the Elite Eight in 2025.
The 6-foot-10, All-Big Ten honorable mention selection averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last year, shooting 50% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. He’s posted 21 double-doubles in his college career, hit multiple triples on 16 different occasions and has a 17-point, 11-rebound outing in the Elite Eight on his resumé.
Kohler recently played for the Utah Jazz in summer league, but he’s now looking to return to college, having been named on a California injunction for additional eligibility in July. His top suitors include Kansas, Kentucky and BYU, along with returning to Michigan State, according to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.
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Connecting Kohler and the Cougars isn’t difficult. He’s a Utah County native and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having also played alongside BYU alums Richie Saunders and Fousseyni Traore at Wasatch Academy.
According to Robby McCombs of Vanquish the Foe, Kohler met virtually with Young last week to discuss his potential fit at BYU.
“I’m told the call went very well and BYU made a big impression on Jaxon,” wrote McCombs.
“… Multiple people have told me there is a real draw for Jaxon to come home for his final season and play close to family and friends. BYU gives him runway to a big role and a chance to feature different parts of his game with the spacing BYU can provide.”
Landing Kohler this deep into the offseason would be nothing short of remarkablefor BYU, which hasn’t had a big man of his caliber since Yoeli Childs. Kohler can produce consistent scoring in the low post while also stretching the floor as a 3-point shooter, giving Young his most team perimeter potential since he arrived in Provo.
Adding Kohler to a core of Rob Wright III, Collin Chandler and Bruce Branch III could elevate the Cougars to be one of the nation’s top offenses, making a group with improved depth considerable deeper.
But even if Kohler decides to go elsewhere, BYU’s options at center are more plentiful than before Sweeney’s ruling, though other Big 12 teams would also improve from adding their own fifth-year pieces. Arizona, for example, has already reportedly signed RJ Godfrey from Clemson, giving the Wildcats the dynamic forward they still needed. Kohler would keep the Cougars from falling behind their conference peers in the August arms race.
Of course, BYU still faces the challenge of beating out Kansas, Michigan State and Kentucky for Kohler’s services. Young finds himself in yet another high profile, blue blood-heavy recruiting battle, matching up against legends in Bill Self and Tom Izzo as well as former Cougars coach Mark Pope.
Kohler choosing the Cougars would rank near the top of Young’s best recruiting wins to date — and raise BYU’s ceiling into the neighborhood of Big 12 contender and a team that could play deep into the Big Dance.
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