Despite having one year left in his five-year window, his playing time has expired. He’s now challenging that NCAA ruling in court.
Zeigler claims that he’s entitled to a fifth year despite having already played 138 games across four seasons. His reasoning? He wasn’t given the opportunity to redshirt when others were.
Tennessee needed Zeigler in Year 1. He appeared in 35 games as a freshman. Had he taken the season off, not only would he have saved a year of eligibility, but he would’ve been able to collect a paycheck, too.
NIL plays a large role in the lawsuit. Zeigler claims to have made $150,000 as a freshman, a number that increased each year up to a $500,000 payment as a senior. Now, he believes his value sits anywhere between $2-4 million.
Zakai Zeigler argues that players who redshirt can still receive NIL payment. He didn’t get that opportunity. He also just missed out on the COVID blanket waiver that gave players in 2020 an extra season of competition.
His value now is certainly more than what it was when he entered college as a freshman. The market has changed, as have his experience and production. Does the lawsuit have a chance? Tennessee wouldn’t mind seeing Zeigler suit up one more year.
This is far from the first eligibility issue the NCAA has been forced to deal with this year. Last fall, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia successfully battled for his JUCO career to be scrubbed from the record. He was granted one more year to play his fourth D1 season in Nashville.
That win has led others to fight for their playing time. South Carolina transfer running back Rahsul Faison recently lawyered up in pursuit of an extra season. He’s surpassed his five-year window but has only played in three seasons. He seeks a fourth and final year in Columbia.
Zakai Zeigler’s situation is interesting because unlike most prior cases, he has played four years at the D1 level. He’s essentially asking the NCAA to overlook that fact.
