Texas Tech's Thomas Castellanos Eligible Again vs. Arizona State

LUBBOCK -- Texas Tech got a boost to its lineup on the eve of its Homecoming date with Arizona State, as quarterback Thomas Castellanos was deemed eligible by a Kentucky judge.

According to reports, the judge granted Castellanos alongside the other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the NCAA a temporary injunction on Friday after hearing their cases on Wednesday.

Based on the court records, the decision was made to prevent the NCAA from enforcing restrictions on athletes seeking a fifth-year under the latest 5-for-5 eligibility guidelines.

This ruling comes after an initial restraining order that was granted to Castellanos and others was dissolved by a Kentucky Court of Appeals around two weeks ago.

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In a whirlwind year for many of the athletes within the class of 2022, it is just the latest reversal in a longstanding saga. For Castellanos, however, this appears to be the end of the time in the courtroom.

For Texas Tech, it marks the second straight day with a victory in the courtroom, as men's basketball star Donovan Atwell got his coveted injunction in Lubbock County on Thursday.

With the legal hassle hopefully put to rest for good, Castellanos will return to his place among the Red Raiders and he could be seen again sooner rather than later.

No. 10 Texas Tech takes on Arizona State on Saturday in its first matchup out of the bye week, with Castellanos being available to suit up for the contest.

While he is not the primary passer for the Red Raiders, Castellanos has previously made an appearance in each of Texas Tech's prior games except for Colorado.

Of course, that is the lone outing where the midseason change in eligibility affected his status with the team after being reinstated this week.

Despite his smaller role, his absence was somewhat noticeable, as the Red Raiders struggled on short-yardage situations throughout the first half.

This speculation that the inefficiency was due in part to the sudden loss of Castellanos was confirmed by head coach Joey McGuire after the game.

He explained that without him and running back Cameron Dickey, who went out with a high-ankle sprain, the game plan was thrown out of sorts against the Buffaloes.

READ MORE: Texas Tech Wins Major Court Battle As Donovan Atwell Gets Fifth Year

Texas Tech did eventually find a rhythm in the second half to overpower Colorado, but the return of Castellanos points to only benefits for the program in its own return to the field.

Even with these positives, it was questioned whether there would be enough time for the coaches to account for his presence and him to prepare for Saturday's action.

Earlier this week, however, McGuire stated that Castellanos was practicing with the team in the event that he was available in the matchup against the Sun Devils.

Following his win in the courtroom, Castellanos should be expected to suit up once again for Texas Tech and look to lend his efforts to the Red Raiders in their pursuit of a win of their own.