After Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado granted a class-wide preliminary injunction to athletes in the high school class of 2022 on Friday, which gives those student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, there are questions regarding how the ruling will impact the Clemson baseball team.
As The Clemson Insider reported on Sunday, if the ruling stands as is, several players from last year’s team would now have another year of eligibility.
The ruling is expected to be reviewed on Monday. What’s at stake there is whether the affected student-athletes would count against the roster limits imposed by the landmark House Settlement. If the ruling on roster constraints is lifted, that could change things and in a big way. If those student-athletes are going to count toward roster spots, then there suddenly is a lot less room for those players, since many rosters have already been set.
When it comes to college baseball, there could be a little more wiggle room for some teams, seeing as fall ball is still about two months away. How much wiggle room? That might depend on which school we’re talking about.
One of the Tigers’ top hitters from last season, Jack Crighton, is one of the players who could suddenly have another year of eligibility. Whether there would be room for him or not might depend on what happens with the review on Monday.
After four seasons at Clemson, Crighton wrapped up his career by hitting .301 with three home runs and 27 RBI last season. He was one of just three players on the team that hit .300 or better in 2026. His 14 doubles were a team high, as were his four sacrifice bunts. His .991 fielding percentage also led the team.
Crighton is a career .292 hitter with a .382 slugging percentage and .359 on-base percentage.
After speaking with a source on Saturday, TCI has learned that Crighton would be open to returning if it could be worked out. Based on conversations we’ve had, things haven’t gotten that far yet. While coaches across the country have been prepared for the possibility of Judge Sweeney’s ruling, there are still a lot of moving parts here.
There will be a transfer portal window for student-athletes affected by the ruling that runs from August 3-10.
Again, rosters are mostly set, so there’s a good chance most of the money available for next season’s team has been spoken for. And let’s not forget, Clemson found a way to get Aidan Knaak to return for his senior season after being drafted in the fifth round by the Milwaukee Brewers. The slot value for where he was picked was $425,000.
Erik Bakich has added a couple of new faces to his outfield via the portal since the end of the season. Jamie Daly was signed from Davidson, presumably to take over in center, and Bennett Edwards comes over from Georgia Southern. Edwards also plays some catcher.
If it could be worked out, getting Crighton back would be a big boost for a lineup that struggled with consistency last season. However, whether or not that is a realistic possibility might hinge on what happens with the review on Monday.
