NORMAN — Eight athletes from around the country, including Oklahoma defensive tackle Danny Saili and first baseman Dayton Tockey, were granted a temporary restraining order from Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman Thursday, making them temporarily eligible for a fifth season until the injunction hearing, which will be set soon.
The transfer portal is also open for a week for them.
At the center of the lawsuit is the NCAA’s newly adopted “Five-for-Five Rule,” which the organization’s governance structure voted to approve this summer. The rule gives current DI athletes five years to compete in NCAA sports following their high school graduation.
The plaintiffs contend the NCAA has excluded athletes from high school graduating class of 2022 — the class that includes the eight athletes in the lawsuit.
OU football coach Brent Venables confirmed Wednesday that despite being ineligible due to the stay in the five-for-five ruling, Saili is on the roster and has been practicing. Saili, who is listed at 6-foot-1, 280 pounds on OU’s game notes, saw action in 11 games last season for Arkansas, registering 10 tackles, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.
Tockey was a hero for OU on the way to its national championship this summer. He appeared in 43 games, making 34 starts all at first base and batting .250 with 26 hits, six doubles, 21 runs scored and 23 RBI.
Other athletes included in the petition:
- Wisconsin CB D’Yoni Hill
- Former Oklahoma State and Tulsa WR Braylin Presley
- Stephen F. Austin LB Jaydon Southard
- ETSU LB Ty Anderson
- UNC safety Gavin Gibson
- Lehigh DL TJ Burke
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny made clear to The Oklahoman that the Sooners will not add any player that has signed a pro contract or who would violate the SEC intraconference transfer rule. OU is evaluating all other circumstances, but won’t have anything certain until it has to declare its roster tonight.
At the moment, Saili is the only newly added player from the case admitted and enrolled at OU.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
