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Message: [QUOTE="OrangeXtreme, post: 5579236, member: 41"] [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2025/11/syracuse-senior-unsatisfied-with-season-seeks-ncaa-waiver-to-play-seventh-year-of-college-football.html[/URL] [I]Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse running back [B]Will Nixon [/B]said he has applied for a medical hardship waiver with the NCAA that would allow him to play a seventh season of college football next year. Nixon said that he expects the waiver to be approved and, if it is, he said he plans to play at Syracuse. Football players traditionally have five years to play four full seasons of football. Playing in more than four regular-season games qualifies as a full season. Waivers are often granted by the NCAA when injuries limit a player’s chance to play those four full seasons. Nixon tore his ACL during his first year of college football and did not play in a game in 2020 for Nebraska. That was also a shortened-season due to the COVID pandemic. Nixon took a traditional redshirt during his second season in 2021, then played two full seasons of football for Washington before suffering a Lisfranc injury in the third game of Syracuse’s season last year. That makes the current season Nixon’s third full year of college football that he has completed. Nixon said Syracuse’s compliance department was confident enough about him receiving a waiver that the school brought up the possibility to him last year. He does not know when he will receive a response from the NCAA. Nixon will be 24 years old during the college football season next year. Syracuse’s oldest player this year was eighth-year player David Reese. Playing a seventh year is a sudden change of course for Nixon. The running back said he came into this year expecting it to be his final season of college football. He said he decided about three weeks ago that the current Syracuse season was not going to provide him a satisfying ending to his career and that he wanted to play another season. "About three weeks ago, just with how the season was going,” Nixon said about when he decided he wanted to play college football next year. “Really, I’m just unsatisfied by how it went. You want to be with your team, playing in a big bowl game at the end of the year. Last year’s team did that, but I wasn’t able to play. That’s a big deal to me, to be part of that history.” Syracuse is in the middle of a seven-game losing streak, with all of those losses coming by double-digits. Despite those struggles, Nixon said he is confident that he can get the ending he is looking for in Syracuse. “Coach Fran (Brown) has won two national titles,” Nixon said. “Obviously you know my dad is part of the coaching and has seen a lot of things over his career. I’m confident that the coaching staff will make any changes they need to.” Nixon leads Syracuse in snaps played by a running back this year with 381. Yasin Willis, the team’s rushing leader who was expected to be the team’s primary back, has played 323. Willis’ numbers have been dampened by missing two games with injury and the Orange’s pass-heavy approach. Willis is a powerful running back with the ball in his hands, while Nixon profiles better as a pass-catcher and third-down option out of the backfield. Nixon is fourth on the Orange this year with 24 receptions, fifth with 172 receiving yards and second in rushing yards with 359. He and Willis have now both said they plan to return to Syracuse, which would give the Orange the potential to bring back all of its production at the running back position. Freshman Tylik Hill is currently third on the depth chart and has shown flashes of potential as a runner during his first year. Pro Football Focus grades Nixon 14th among ACC running backs as receivers who have been targeted at least 10 times. Willis is 35thnd. Nixon’s overall grade as a running back sits 43rd among running backs with at least 20 carries, while Willis is 29th. Both have graded out below average this season as pass-blockers according to PFF, although Nixon has been especially poor, surrendering 10 quarterback pressures in 69 opportunities. Nixon is the second Syracuse player who has indicated that they will apply for a medical hardship waiver this year. Brown said earlier this year that linebacker Derek McDonald is seeking a waiver to play a sixth season of football and the coach hopes that it will be with Syracuse. Tight end/defensive end Chase Simmons appears as if he would be a candidate for a waiver to play a sixth season as well, although his future plans are unknown.[/I] [/QUOTE]

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