​I’m going to move forward with the premise that the new age-based NCAA eligibility model will persist in some form once all legal challenges are resolved. It makes sense, and I’m not sure the schools want to keep wading through ongoing court battles over eligibility. I sense that some top administrators have checked in on the college athletics money machine, and while it isn’t dead, it’s certainly missing a few feathers. This age-based approach looks like an attempt to shield the sport from long-term financial damage caused by disillusioned fans—predominantly middle-aged and older—who were once the backbone of college athletics. It feels as though this is the first real concession they’ve offered the die-hard fans who care about this stuff in a long time.
I wrote an article outlining the age-based model here. The core idea is simple: athletes receive five seasons of eligibility if they enroll by age 19. This change prevents 27-year-old European pros from dominating college basketball as true freshmen and does away with the archaic redshirt rules in both football and basketball. In theory, it also skirts the NCAA’s arbitrary eligibility waiver system, though I’ll wait to see it in action before I’m convinced. Schools favor clear rules—until they believe an exception might be warranted.
Anyway, this is how the new age-based model could affect the football program going forward. I’ll break down the roster by position group, and after examining each segment I’ll assemble a cohesive roster with more detail than you’ll find on many sites.
So, without further ado…
Name, Position, Recruiting Class, High School/Juco/Portal, Home State, High School, HS Rating, Juco/Port, Juco/Port Rating, Seasons at KSU, Eligibility Remaining
Tanner Morley, IOL/G, 2023, Portal, CO, Valor Christian, 3* (80.7), Colorado State, 3* (86), 0–2
Delvin Morris, IOL/C, 2023, Portal, TX, Caldwell, NRAkron, 3* (85.5), 0–2
Charlie Adams, IOL/C, 2024, Portal, CA, Cathedral, NRCal Poly, 3* (84.5), 0–3
Ryan Howard, IOL/G, 2024, High School, PA, Downingtown West, 3* (85.9), NA, 2–3
Jordan Jensen, IOL/G, 2024, JuCo, IA, Estherville Lincoln Central, NR Iowa Central, 3* (85.3), 0–3
Kyle Rakers, IOL/G-C, 2024, High School, IA, Downing Catholic, 3* (85.2), NA, 2–3
Navarro Schunke, IOL/G, 2024, High School, SD, Brandon Valley, 3* (88.2), NA, 2–3
Brock Heath, IOL/G, 2025, High School, KS, Blue Valley Northwest, 3* (87), NA, 1–4
Keiton Jones, IOL/G, 2025, Portal, KS, Field Kindley, 3* (89.1), Missouri, 3* (87), 0–4
Dylan Villarouel, IOL/G-C, 2025, High School, GA, North Forsyth, 3* (84.8), NA, 1–4
Chase Duarte, IOL/G-C, 2025, Portal, CA, Clayton Valley, 3* (82), San Diego State, 3* (84.5), 0–4
Lamarcus Barber, IOL/G-C, 2026, High School, KS, Mill Valley, 3* (86.5), NA, 0–5
Bennett Fraser, IOL/G, 2026, High School, MO, Kirksville, 3* (86.8), NA, 0–5
Note: Adams, Jensen, and Duarte each earned an additional season of eligibility after transferring, which helps with search engine optimization for their profiles.