North Carolina’s injury situation has grown more and more dire as the 2017 season has gone on. Each week it seems, the Tar Heels lose another key player. Will they be able to get any players back for another year of eligibility through a hardship waiver? Since so many of the injuries happened early in the season, the answer to that question is yes.
The NCAA’s medical hardship waiver rules requires that an injury be season-ending, and happen in the first half of the regular season. In addition, a player cannot have played in more than three games in order to qualify. Plus, a player must not have already taken a redshirt year. If they have taken a redshirt year already, they must petition the NCAA for a waiver.
One of the more important medical hardship qualifiers for the Tar Heels is Andre Smith, the talented sophomore linebacker who went down in the Louisville game. Smith played right away as a true freshman in 2016. Since he hasn’t already taken a redshirt season, and only played in two games this fall, Smith is eligible for a medical hardship waiver. He can return to UNC in 2018 with sophomore standing.
Tyler Powell, the senior defensive end, is also eligible to return in 2018 on a medical hardship waiver. Powell hasn’t redshirted yet at UNC, having played as a true freshman in 2014. Although Powell played in UNC’s fourth game of the season against Duke, he did not play in the first two games, as he was suspended. Therefore, Powell hasn’t played in more than three games, and is eligible for the medical waiver if he doesn’t play again this fall.
On the flip side, injured players such as Carl Tucker, William Sweet, and Rontavious Groves have all redshirted. Therefore, they will have to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Since the NCAA typically only awards sixth years in cases where players missed two full seasons of eligibility due to specific injuries, Tucker, Sweet, and Groves face long odds in getting another year of eligibility.
The most unfortunate injury scenario is that of Austin Proehl, the senior wide receiver. Proehl was injured in UNC’s fourth game against Duke, which means he doesn’t qualify under the “three games or less” criteria. Although Proehl never redshirted during his time at UNC, the NCAA considers the four games Proehl played in to constitute a full season of eligibility. So sadly for Proehl, his college career has ended.
The returns of Smith and Powell for another year shouldn’t affect recruiting too much in the near term.
UNC will have to come up with another unanticipated scholarship for Powell if he chooses to return in 2018. But with Smith being just a sophomore, UNC was already accounting for his scholarship in its 2018 recruiting plans.
UNC has only taken one full class under Larry Fedora, in 2016. So the Tar Heels are not filled to the brim with scholarships. They will not have to turn away any 2018 commitments to make the necessary room for Smith and Powell to return next season.