SPRINGFIELD — The NCAA’s newest age-based eligibility rule has altered many things in college athletics.
The rule, which states that athletes can play five seasons during five years, otherwise known as five-for-five, has been a major positive for Missouri State football head coach Casey Woods.
“There are no longer decisions about red shirts,” Woods said. “You play them when you are ready to play them.”
There are 18 players listed as freshmen on Missouri State’s roster. This list includes safety Josiah Turner and linebacker Deion Thomas. Both players were three-star recruits by 24/7 Sports. Thomas was rated 86, the highest rating from the website in Bears history.
For Woods, the task isn’t to get this group ready for Week 1 against Texas A&M. The coaching staff wants to place the players when they are ready to excel. It could be in the first game, or it could come during conference play.
“You play them in preparation because I may have this guy to beat Delaware. He may not be ready to play against Texas A&M, but I’m going to give him five reps to make sure that he is getting up to that,” Woods said. “In the past, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t burn a game and save him for the games that I need him for.”
The ability to play any freshman player at any time is a big advantage for Woods. As he continues to evaluate his roster, he knows that he gets five years with these players.
Woods is also unsure how things could shake out after the latest injunction that sees 2022 recruiting class players eligible to play this fall.
“I don’t know how impactful it will be on college football just because we are on such a short term here,” Woods said. “But I think the five-for-five is a quality move that gives us a lot of opportunity for continued development throughout the season.”
Day 1 of Missouri State football in the books:
— Liam (@liamkeating7) August 5, 2026
-Sneaky good team
-Great team depth
-1st practice lacked intensity at times
All this and more @springfieldNL pic.twitter.com/Kz6Sr1BKSA
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Casey Woods explains how new NCAA rule helps Missouri State freshmen
