Clemson basketball standout sues NCAA for fifth year. The latest on his future
The leading scorer from Clemson’s 2025-26 men’s basketball team is suing the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility after a recent rule change.
If he’s able to return to college hoops, though, he wouldn’t come back to play for the Tigers and coach Brad Brownell. He’d likely be SEC-bound.
Former Tigers forward RJ Godfrey is one of 16 plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the NCAA on July 9 in Georgia. All the plaintiffs are Class of 2022 men’s basketball recruits who are hoping to retroactively benefit from the NCAA’s new “5 for 5” rule.
“If he (Godfrey) gets another season of competition, he may play at the University of Oklahoma, University of Arkansas, or LSU, all of whom have expressed interest in him and he believes have a roster spot available,” per the lawsuit.
The NCAA announced June 23 it was transitioning to a new eligibility model where all athletes get five years of eligibility regardless of redshirt or injury. The rule change will benefit current athletes, but as of now the “5 for 5” rule doesn’t grandfather in any former athletes whose eligibility expired in 2026.
Since the “5 for 5” rule change, dozens of Class of 2022 athletes across the country have filed lawsuits in an attempt to gain a fifth year of eligibility for 2026-27.
Godfrey falls into this category because he played four seasons of college basketball without redshirting (three at Clemson, one at Georgia).
After transferring back to the Tigers for his senior season, Godfrey averaged a career-high 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He was the leading scorer on a Clemson team that went 24-11 and advanced to a third straight NCAA Tournament.
Players like Godfrey ‘unfairly’ excluded, lawsuit says
Godfrey participated in a few NBA predraft workouts but wasn’t picked in the draft. The three aforementioned SEC schools are among those interested in Godfrey if he’s able to get a fifth year, according to a copy of the lawsuit filed on his behalf last week by Darren Heitner and Ryan Downton in Cobb County (Ga.) Superior Court.
Arkansas is led by former national champion Kentucky coach John Calipari, and LSU is entering its first season under former N.C. State coach Will Wade, who controversially left the Wolfpack after one year to return to Baton Rouge.
Returning to Clemson wouldn’t make much sense, considering Brownell’s roster already has 14 players (one short of the 15-man NCAA roster limit) and has landed a number of transfer players to replace Godfrey’s post production. Clemson likely wouldn’t have the NIL funds to bring back him back for a fifth year either.
There’s also no guarantee Godfrey is granted an injunction.
It’s worth noting an Ohio judge recently granted a court injunction against the NCAA to 15 athletes who were also asking for a retroactive fifth year.
The lawsuit featuring Godfrey (a Suwanee, Georgia native) and other players with Georgia connections claims the NCAA has “unfairly” excluded Class of 2022 recruits from its “5 for 5” rule and asks a judge to grant a similar injunction.
Heitner, one of the lawyers representing Godfrey, is familiar with Clemson. He was also co-counsel for Tigers wide receiver Tristan Smith and helped the former JUCO player win an injunction against the NCAA in local court earlier this summer.
That ruling cleared the way for Smith to play a fifth year in 2026.
This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 3:12 PM.
