The Baylor defensive linemanwas granted a temporary injunction by Texas judge Ryan Luna in McLennan County on Tuesday, Aug. 11, making him eligible to play for theBearsin Week 1 againstAuburnin the Aflac Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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According to reports,Luna is expected to set a trial date within the next 90 to 120 days. That timeline would put the trial sometime in mid-November, creating some uncertainty about Wheeler's full-season eligibility.
That said, should the temporary injunction be overturned at trial,Baylorcould lose the defensive lineman during the home stretch of the season, as the Bears are set to faceIowa State, BYU, Texas Tech and Houston all in the month of November.
Wheeler is the latest student-athlete to challenge the NCAA's updated age-based eligibility model, and whether his first season of college football at the JUCO level at Sacramento City College in 2021 should count toward the NCAA's five-year eligibility window.
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The 6-foot-3, 306-pound defensive lineman is set to enter his second season at the Power Four Conference level after transferring to Indiana last offseason from Western Kentucky. In his lone season with the Hoosiers, where he won the national championship, Wheeler racked up 31 total tackles.
Coming off a 5-7 overall record last season, Baylor was chosen to finish 10th in the Big 12 in the conference's media poll.
No. 25 Acrisure Stadium (Pitt):68,400
(Charles LeClaire, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
No. 24 Raymond James Stadium (South Florida):69,218
(Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images)
No. 23 Kinnick Stadium (Iowa):69,250
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Cit, USA TODAY Network)
No. 22 Husky Stadium (Washington):70,083
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
No. 21 Spartan Stadium (Michigan State):74,866
(Nick King/Lansing State Journal, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
No. 20 Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin):76,057
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
No. 19 Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium (Arkansas):76,212
(Wesley Hitt, Getty Images)
No. 18 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (USC):77,500
(Harry How, Getty Images)
No. 17 Williams-Brice Stadium (South Carolina):77,559
(Jacob Kupferman, Getty Images)
No. 16 Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame):77,622
(MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
No. 15 Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma):80,126
(Mark J. Rebilas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
No. 14 Clemson Memorial Stadium (Clemson):81,500
(Alex Martin, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
No. 13 Memorial Stadium (Nebraska):85,458
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No. 12 Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn):88,043
(Butch Dill, Getty Images)
No. 11 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida):88,548
(Rob Foldy, Getty Images)
No. 10 Rose Bowl (UCLA):89,702
(Stephen Dunn, Getty Images)
No. 9 Sanford Stadium (Georgia):93,033
(Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images)
No. 8 Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama):100,077
(Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images)
No. 7 Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas):100,119
(Gaby Velasquez / El Paso Times, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
