Dillon Hunter's emphatic return to the Clemson basketball court just hit a snag. On Wednesday, "the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a stay of the injunction granted to five-for-five plaintiffs in the [RJ] Godfrey case, joining the courts of appeal in Ohio and Tennessee (plus the Tenth Circuit in Wisne)."
Hunter and his former Clemson teammate RJ Godfrey are among the handful of players who are now deemed ineligible for the 2026-27 college season because of this stay of injunction. While Hunter briefly dipped into the transfer portal, Godfrey was off to his third Power Four team in as many years to play for Tommy Lloyd at Arizona. Of course, this stay has been granted for the NCAA to appeal.
In the event the Georgia appellate court denies the NCAA's appeal, one would think Hunter, Godfrey, and the rest of the players in question would have their fifth and final years of eligibility returned to them. While we have a little more time before college basketball season arrives, this could play a part in these potential fifth-year players being able to participate in practice in the midst of this stay.
Clemson MBB guard Dillon Hunter is currently ineligible after the Georgia appellate court granted a stay in his five-for-five case.
— Jackson Castellano (@jaxacastellano) September 9, 2026
A stay just means he’s ineligible while the court case is appealed by the NCAA, so if the appeal is denied he would presumably be eligible again. https://t.co/arAQwKwaAY
Clemson is banking on Dillon Hunter being able to return to the hardwood
While Arizona getting Godfrey could be a big boost to the Wildcats' national title aspirations, Clemson desperately needs Hunter to be ruled eligible by the Georgia Court of Appeals. This is because Brad Brownell's team is already a bit shorthanded in the backcourt coming into this season. With Ace Buckner and Zac Foster working their way back from injuries, Clemson needs Hunter to start games.
Add in the fact that Efrem Johnson is on his way to Virginia Tech, and there are plenty of minutes to be had at both guard spots for Clemson. Even though Hunter only averaged 7.5 points per game last season, he led the team with 3.0 assists per game. Hunter started all 35 games for the Tigers in the backcourt last year. His allotment of 28.6 minutes per game was expected to increase this season.
Should the NCAA's appeal be denied, then that is fantastic news for Clemson, Arizona, and programs with players whose eligibility is being heard in this particular case. Because the five-in-five ruling was issued so late in the summer, one would think it would be so hard for any Class of 2022 recruit to be deemed ineligible for this upcoming season, so long as they did not sign any professional contract.
In short, Clemson getting Hunter back could be huge in helping the Tigers go further in this year's NCAA Tournament. If he is unable to suit up for Clemson again, that could be incredibly problematic for Brownell's team. It is hard to win games in March and during conference play when you do not have a reliable backcourt. Buckner and Foster will return at some point, but Clemson needs Hunter.
For now, we must wait and see if the Georgia Court of Appeals is going to side with the NCAA or not.
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