Former Central Michigan LB Jordan Kwiatkowski granted TRO; enters transfer portal
The former Class of 2022 prospect seeks to continue his collegiate career after two professional camp stops.
The 2026 college football season is underway, but not all rosters are set in stone.
The Wisne v. NCAA ruling on July 31 granted a fifth-year of eligibility to players who graduated high school in 2022. While the NCAA successfully appealed this ruling, players can file separate state lawsuits to return to college football.
That leaves players affected by this legislation scrambling to find their way back onto rosters to make the most of their newfound eligibility.
Former Central Michigan inside linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski is among those affected. Kwiatkowski was granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) by the Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens, Michigan. The TRO lasts 14 days and provides Kwiatkowski immediate eligibility, but the former Chippewa will have an upcoming injunction hearing, which could further extend his eligibility should he prevail in court.
Kwiatkowski plans to explore the transfer portal but hasn't ruled out a return to Central Michigan.
The linebacker previously declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. After going undrafted, he attended mini-camp with the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots. Later in the offseason, he briefly spent four days with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League but never appeared in a professional game. Kwiatkowski did not sign a contract that involved compensation at either stop.
Some conferences, such as the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and American, released statements banning athletes who have signed professional contracts or appeared on professional rosters from returning to the college ranks. The MAC has not issued a statement on the matter as of Sept. 3. But Kwiatkowski's TRO protects him from the "NCAA and its officers, agents, employees, representatives, successors, assigns, and all persons acting in concert or participation with them, including conferences" which could allow him to circumvent those conference's bans on athletes who were on professional rosters.
Kwiatkowski warranted two All-MAC selections at Central Michigan, appearing on the Second Team defense in 2024 and First Team in 2025. He spent four seasons in Mount Pleasant, including the last two as a starter. Last season, the Sterling Heights, Michigan native produced a team-high 117 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown, leading the Chippewas to their first bowl bid since 2021.
Once rostered, Kwiatkowski is eligible to practice and technically eligible to play due to the provisions of the TRO. However, many teams have excluded the Wisne v. NCAA-affected players from their Week 1 depth charts as a precautionary measure. College football rosters are typically finalized and locked after a team's first game of the season.
Kwiatkowski's most recent team, Central Michigan, opens its season Saturday, Sept. 5th, at 10 p.m. ET against New Mexico in Albuquerque.
