Stephen Daley fifth season return gives Indiana its edge rusher back
Indiana says Stephen Daley will return for a fifth season after a Colorado court ruling, though CBS Sports reports eligibility uncertainty remains.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Stephen Daley’s fifth season is set to bring one of Indiana’s most productive pass rushers back to Bloomington. Indiana announced Tuesday that the defensive end will return, according to CBS Sports, giving the defending national champions another experienced piece on their defensive front.
The move follows a Colorado federal-court ruling that, according to CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports, allows players from the 2022 recruiting class to pursue a fifth season of college football. Yahoo Sports reported that Daley is among the most prominent players expected to use that opening.
There is still a caveat. CBS Sports reported that schools have been wary because a possible NCAA appeal could affect the injunction and players’ eligibility. No appeal outcome or final determination on Daley’s eligibility was established in the reporting.
Why is Stephen Daley returning for a fifth season?
Reporting ties Daley’s return to the Colorado ruling. It reportedly gives members of the 2022 class an additional path to play a fifth college season, and Indiana has announced that Daley plans to use it.
For the Hoosiers, the football case is clear from his 2025 production. Daley posted 38 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks before suffering a serious injury after Indiana’s Big Ten Championship win, CBS Sports reported. The injury kept him out of the College Football Playoff.
Coach Curt Cignetti said in December that Daley had likely been lost for the remainder of that season. CBS Sports reported that Daley was injured during the postgame celebration after the Ohio State game, when he appeared to hurt his leg while jumping to high-five fans.
Indiana still won the national title without him. Now the program is bringing back a defender who led the Big Ten in tackles for loss during his first Power Four season, according to CBS Sports.
What does Daley’s return mean for Indiana?
It restores a proven edge defender to a unit Indiana had already reinforced. CBS Sports reported that the Hoosiers added edge players Chiddi Obiazor and Tobi Osunsanmi from Kansas State, plus Josh Burnham from Notre Dame, during the offseason.
Daley arrived at Indiana through the transfer portal after spending his first three college seasons at Kent State, CBS Sports reported. His reported fifth-year return adds him to that rebuilt outside-line rotation as Indiana prepares to follow its title season.
The immediate news is Daley’s return, while the broader eligibility picture remains unsettled. CBS Sports reported that an NCAA appeal could affect the court injunction, leaving schools to weigh that possibility as players seek another season.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.