Alabama football appears to be heading in the direction of potentially having Justin Jefferson return to Tuscaloosa next season. Jefferson, a senior who spent two years at Pearl River Community College in junior college, has been with the Crimson Tide for the last two seasons.
Recently, the NCAA granted a waiver allowing college athletes who previously played at JUCO programs the opportunity to gain another year of eligibility.
On Friday, Alabama’s defensive coordinator, Kane Wommack, spoke about the possibility of Jefferson returning for next season. “We’re looking into those things right now,” Wommack said. “We’re really optimistic about JJ coming back for next season. It’s something he wants to do. Hopefully, we’ll have some confirmation on that here sooner than later.
It’s all looking like it’s in the right direction right now. I think it goes without saying how special that would be for our defense when you have Jihaad Campbell, Deontae Lawson, and Justin Jefferson potentially all walking out the door, and now you’ve got a chance to potentially recoup at least one of those players.”
So far this season, Jefferson has recorded 52 total tackles and two sacks. The waiver follows a lawsuit filed by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia against the NCAA.
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors issued a statement granting a waiver to allow student-athletes who attended and competed at non-NCAA schools for one or more years to remain eligible and compete in the 2025-26 season, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements, such as progress toward their degree and the five-year eligibility limit.
