After seven seasons playing college football, a member of Miami’s national title runner-up is reportedly set to make it an eighth.
In the year 2026, eligibility in NCAA sports has increasingly become a meme. With some players who were drafted to leagues like the NBA returning to the college ranks despite having professional G-League or overseas experience.
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However, a combination of timing, injury and a global pandemic has opened the door for Hurricanes linebacker Mohamed Toure to return to Coral Gables for roughly double the amount of time once believed to be possible before trying his hand at the NFL.
Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes linebacker Mohamed Toure (1) celebrates a defensive stop in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
(© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)Mohamed Toure’s eligibility timeline
Per Toure’s player profile on the Canes’ official website, Miami says that the Pleasantville, NJ native “spent [the] first six years of [his] career (2019-2024) at Rutgers,” which normally would’ve been a full college career and then some, but instead was just the beginning of his NCAA journey.
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In 2019, Toure took a redshirt year with the Scarlet Knights which has always been fairly common and would’ve extended his four years of eligibility into 2023. However, the NCAA decided that Toure and others’ lost seasons (understandably) wouldn’t count due to the COVID-19 pandemic the following year.
In 2021, Toure suited up for Rutgers — using his first year of eligibility. However in 2022, Toure missed the season with an injury and took a medical redshirt which also didn’t count against his limit.
2023 he played once again, 2024 he was allowed to take yet another medical redshirt, and in 2025 he served as a team captain and the leading tackler for one of the top teams in the country. Now this fall he’ll return for an eighth (and possibly final) year.
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Miami-Indiana play in second most-watched CFP final
According to ESPN, tens of millions tuned in to watch Toure and the Hurricanes take on undefeated IU.
Per the Worldwide Leader: “The Hoosiers’ 27-21 victory over the 10th seeded Hurricanes for their first football national title averaged 30.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It also is the second-most watched CFP title game and cable telecast on record. Ohio State’s win over Oregon in January 2015, still has the record at 33.9 million.”
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The 11 College Football Playoff games reportedly averaged 16.3 million viewers in the second year of the 12-team format. A format that the powers that be have voted to keep for at least another season.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.