The Arizona Wildcats football roster has received a significant boost ahead of the upcoming season, welcoming back running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris for a fifth year of eligibility, according to school announcements. Both student-athletes earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors during the 2025 campaign and return to Tucson following a legal ruling affecting collegiate athletic timelines.
The eligibility breakthrough stems from a legal decision issued by U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado. According to Reuters reporting, the preliminary injunction determined that the NCAA’s new five-in-five rule—which typically restricts athletes to five years to complete five competitive seasons—allows certain Class of 2022 competitors to play this year if they had only completed four collegiate seasons. While the NCAA has stated its intention to appeal the ruling, affected players like Mahdi and Harris are cleared to take the field.
Mahdi and Harris played critical roles throughout the 2025 schedule, earning academic recognition alongside their on-field accolades as CSC Academic All-District selections, as detailed by Arizona Sports.
Impact of Ismail Mahdi’s Return to the Arizona Backfield
Mahdi delivered an immediate impact during his first year in Tucson after transferring into the program. According to Reuters, the running back led the Wildcats with 859 rushing yards during the 2025 season, scoring four rushing touchdowns and adding one receiving touchdown. He also pulled in 17 receptions for 119 yards.
As noted in coverage from Arizona Sports, Mahdi earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors following a standout performance against Kansas State where he accumulated 222 total yards from scrimmage. Prior to joining Arizona, Mahdi built an extensive collegiate resume that began at FCS program Houston Christian in 2022, followed by a prolific two-year stint at Texas State where he rushed for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Defensive Contributions from Linebacker Max Harris
On the defensive side, Max Harris provides production in the front seven. According to Reuters, Harris finished third on the team with 78 tackles and recorded 3.5 sacks across 12 games during his first season with the Wildcats.
Arizona Sports highlights that the 6-foot Texas native led the squad with seven quarterback hits, adding 3.5 tackles for loss, one pass defended, and one forced fumble. Harris demonstrated consistency late in the year, registering at least six tackles in eight of his final nine games, including a 13-tackle effort against Houston and a seven-tackle performance against Arizona State University. His journey to Tucson included stops at FCS program Incarnate Word in 2022, Louisiana-Monroe in 2023—where he notched a career-high 79 tackles—and Texas State in 2024.
Next Steps and Legal Landscape
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