Longhorns' Chendall Weaver Included in Eligibility Lawsuit Against NCAA

Former Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver, who graduated from UT this past spring after spending three of his four college basketball seasons in Austin, is one of 12 players across the country suing the NCAA in search of an extra year of eligibility.

The suit, filed in Tennessee, seeks a temporary injunction from the institution, in reference to the NCAA's newest policies for age-based eligibility. The new rule is set to take effect for athletes enrolled in the 2026-27 academic year.

The "Five-for-Five" rule adds a fifth year of full athletic eligibility, altering the previous policy of five years for four years of eligibility. Redshirt years are practically eliminated under these new rules. Athletes can receive exceptions if they miss a season due to pregnancy, military service, or religious missions.

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"Under the new rule, a student-athlete's five-year window to compete would begin on the academic year of their 19th birthday – or academic year of enrolling in college, whichever is earlier," said Longhorns writer Eric Henry in clarifying the changes.

Henry notes that the head coach Sean Miller only has 14 players on his Longhorns roster, one below the maximum, for the 2026-27 season. Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger says that is the case for several other athletes named in the lawsuit.

Weaver, a springy 6-3 guard from Arlington, attended the University of Texas at Arlington as a freshman in 2022-23. He was the WAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 9.5 points per game for the Mavericks and announcing his transfer to UT.

In three seasons with the Longhorns, Weaver has recorded 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He's appeared in 93 games total, making 17 starts and averaging just under 20 minutes of playing time a night.

"After arriving in Austin as a sophomore in 2023, Weaver quickly endeared himself with Texas fans by showcasing relentless effort and tenacity – skills that landed him a role as the team's sixth man," Henry says.

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"Weaver was known for playing well above his height, becoming one of the top rebounding guards in the Southeastern Conference because of his athleticism. There were expectations that Weaver would be able to grow his game after shooting 49% from the field but only 23.7% from 3-point range as a sophomore.

"However, after suffering a groin injury midway through his junior season, Weaver missed the next 15 contests, before returning for the regular season finale against Oklahoma."

Miller previously addressed his desire to bring Weaver back for a fourth year in Austin. Texas reached the Sweet 16 in 2025-26, Miller's first season as the head coach.

"In terms of Chendall Weaver, I don't know what coach wouldn't be a fan of how he plays," said Miller. He's so selfless with the way he impacts defense, offense, I thought he made a huge difference in the end of Texas’ season, when he started to play again."

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Despite leaving one roster spot open, Miller has been busy in reshaping the Longhorns' roster for next season. Texas currently holds the No. 2-ranked transfer portal class on On3 with a haul of five highly-rated recruits: Saint Mary's' Mikey Lewis, Auburn's Elyjah Freeman, Tennessee's Amari Evans, TCU's David Punch, and Colorado's Isaiah Johnson.

Texas also has a strong incoming high school class. Four-star prospects Austin Goosby and Bo Ogden headline a class that also includes Joe Sterling, Coleman Elkins, and Mantas Laurencikas.

The Longhorns enter the 2026-27 season needing to replace the production from Dailyn Swain, the team's leader in nearly every statistical category who was drafted No. 15 overall by the Chicago Bulls in last month's NBA Draft.