Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking a seventh year of eligibility, his agent, Simon Pflum, told ESPN on Tuesday.
Morris and his attorneys filed a lawsuit in Charlottesville Circuit Court seeking a preliminary injunction in his continued quest to be approved for one more season of eligibility after his medical redshirt waiver and appeal were denied by the NCAA in January.
The 25-year-old signal-caller led Virginia to 11 wins and an ACC championship game appearance in 2025 while producing 3,245 total yards and 21 touchdowns. The Cavaliers earned a No. 16 ranking in the final AP Top 25 poll — the program’s best finish since 1995 — following a 13-7 victory over Missouri in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Morris sought a medical redshirt for his 2022 season while with TCU after he dealt with a knee injury that he said significantly impacted his mental health. Morris was injured in the season opener against Colorado and lost his starting job to Max Duggan, who went on to lead the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff National Championship game and a 13-2 season.
Morris returned from the injury to play in three more games as a backup during the 2022 campaign, including the national title game. Since he already had redshirted in 2021, the injury-shortened season counted as a full year of eligibility by NCAA standards.
His attorneys contend the 26 snaps Morris played over the three appearances were part of a medically prescribed mental health treatment plan and that the NCAA disregarded mental health documentation submitted by Virginia on Morris’ behalf in denying his eligibility waiver.
“As additional lawsuits challenging common-sense, academically tied eligibility rules are filed, the NCAA will continue to defend against attempts to rob high school students across the nation of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create,” the NCAA said in a statement.
“The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for all college athletes.”
Morris, a 35-game starter and the son of Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, began his career at Oklahoma in 2020 and had stints at TCU and North Texas before transferring to Virginia for the 2025 season.
Virginia signed two experienced transfer quarterbacks, Missouri’s Beau Pribula and Pitt’s Eli Holstein, in January after the NCAA denied Morris’ waiver request. Morris is still enrolled in school and has not gone through the NFL draft process while he awaits a final verdict on his eligibility.
Morris’ suit comes weeks after Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted an injunction for a sixth year of eligibility by a state court judge in his case against the NCAA after the organization denied his request for a medical redshirt.









