Former walk-on Owen Heinecke, who rose from special teamer to standout linebacker at Oklahoma, was granted an additional year of eligibility on Thursday by a district court judge in Cleveland County, Ok.

Judge Thad Balkman ruled in favor of Heinecke on a preliminary injunction after an all-day emergency hearing. After hearing testimony from Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy, Balkman decided that the NCAA did not appropriately factor out Heinecke’s freshman season with the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team in the spring of 2021.

Heinecke, a 6-foot-one, 227 pound dual sport athlete at Tulsa’s Bishop Kelly HS, transferred to Oklahoma in the fall of 2022, but saw the vast majority of his action on special teams in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. But he played in all 13 games and started the final five games of the 2025 season, earning All-SEC Second Team honors. He ranked second on the team with 74 tackles and amassed 12.0 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Heinecke’s emergence helped Oklahoma post the nation’s third-best rushing defense and led them to their first CFP appearance since 2019.

The NCAA denied Heinecke’s first request for a waiver and appeal earlier this year and the projected late round draft pick began preparing for the 2026 NFL draft. He took part in the NFL scouting combine and OU’s pro day, while continuing to pursue his legal battle with the NCAA.

On March 23, Heinecke and his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and sought an emergency hearing in advance of the draft.

Heinecke had intended to play both football and lacrosse at Ohio State, but was unable to join the football team in the fall of 2020, due to COVID-19, recovery from a high school injury and the school’s suspension of walk-on tryouts until the spring of 2022.

NCAA attorneys argued that Heinecke’s eligibility began when he chose to play lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021 and should have expired following the 2025 football season.

But Balkman did not see it that way.

“We’re grateful for today’s decision,” Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement after Thursday’s ruling. “This is a fair outcome for a young man who has handled this process with integrity and resilience. We’re proud to stand with Owen and look forward to supporting him as he returns to competition in a Sooners uniform.”

The NCAA is now 2-2 in high profile cases of late, with Heinecke joining Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in regaining collegiate eligibility. The NCAA has won in the courts in the cases of former quarterbacks Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) and Chandler Morris (Virginia), whose cases were rejected by the courts.

–Field Level Media

Hunter Feduccia and Taylor Walls drew bases-loaded walks in the ninth inning after Junior Caminero hit a game-tying solo home run, propelling the streaking Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-3 win against the host Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Tampa Bay stretched its winning streak to six games, regrouping after Chicago’s Everson Pereira smacked a solo shot in the eighth to give the White Sox the lead.

Chicago closer Seranthony Dominguez (1-2) allowed a leadoff blast to Caminero and struggled with his command after that. A single, walk and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Rays with one out. Reliever Lucas Sims followed, issuing two walks between a strikeout and a groundout.

Bryan Baker worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom half to pick up his fourth save.

Yandy Diaz, Richie Palacios, Nick Fortes and Caminero had two hits apiece for the Rays.

Chase Meidroth and Pereira both had two hits for the White Sox, who stranded seven runners compared to 14 for Tampa Bay.

Kevin Kelly (2-1) allowed one run and one hit in two innings of relief with a walk and two strikeouts.

Miguel Vargas put the White Sox ahead 1-0 with a solo home run in the third. Vargas snapped a 1-for-30 skid with his first homer since March 30, connecting against Rays starter Steven Matz one pitch after a successful challenge on a called third strike.

Tampa Bay responded with a run in the fourth, as Walls delivered an RBI single.

White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay retired the next batter to escape further trouble after taking over for opener Jordan Leasure. Kay took a no-decision, scattering one run and four hits in 2 2/3 innings with one walk and one strikeout.

Matz spaced two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Chicago reliever Jordan Hicks got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, striking out Jake Fraley after Palacios’ infield single put Rays at every base.

The White Sox left the bases loaded in the sixth, but not before Edgar Quero hit a go-ahead ground-rule double. The Rays got the run back in the seventh on a Palacios RBI single.

–Field Level Media