In years prior, rosters across the nation had been fully set and, barring a last-minute injury, teams knew who their two-deep would be 10 days before the season started. However, we no longer live in a world where that is the norm. With the latest waves of eligibility lawsuits and transfers that are being granted by several courts across the United States, it can be hard to keep up with every last name on your roster.
Former Kansas defensive end Dean Miller is one of the latest involved in this new-world athletics landscape, as earlier today he was denied a fifth year of eligibility for his new team, the UCF Golden Knights.
BREAKING: An Orange County Ninth Circuit Court judge denied former Kansas defensive end Dean Miller's request for an additional year of eligibility, which he hoped to use at #UCF this season. https://t.co/mRqsemfpPo pic.twitter.com/CCn7PKlIlg
— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) August 25, 2026
Miller’s case only proves inconsistency with NCAA
Unlike a lot of what is going on now with players looking to get an extra year of eligibility via the new 5-for-5 age-based ruling, Miller was asking for another year and for his season at JUCO, College of the Canyons, not to count.
This is something that former Vanderbilt star quarterback Diego Pavia attempted in December 2024 and was granted. Last season, Pavia compiled 3,539 yards through the air and a further 862 on the ground, for 39 total touchdowns, finishing second in the Heisman as a member of the 10-3 Commodores.
Coming out of College of the Canyons, Miller was rated as the nation’s 60th-best JUCO prospect and as the 8th-best edge rusher.
In his three years with the Jayhawks, Miller notched 65 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. Heading into last year, Miller was nominated to the preseason Athlon Sports All-Big 12 First Team, after finishing Second Team All-Big 12 in 2024.
Last season, Miller finished with 29 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1 sack as the Jayhawks finished the season with a 5-7 record, making it two straight seasons without a bowl game for the program.
When UCF and Kansas squared off last season, Miller finished with 2 tackles, in what was a nail-biting 27-20 win over the Golden Knights. That was a game where the Jayhawks looked overwhelmed on defense in the first half after allowing 20 points. However, thanks to some adjustments, Miller and Co. shined in the second half, stifling the once-vibrant UCF offense.
After entering the portal, Miller was ranked as the 938th-best prospect and the 108th-rated edge rusher.
Miller would have been dealt a homecoming of sorts next season, as UCF is slated to travel to Kansas inside David Booth Kansas Memorial on November 7.
Last season, the Knights finished with a 5-7 overall record under returning head coach Scott Frost. In Frost’s first tenure, UCF punched way above its weight, finishing with a 19-7 record that saw the infamous 2017 undefeated season. Last season, while the record meant they missed out on a bowl game, there were still several positives to take away from it, one of which was the 39th-best defense that allowed 348.5 yards per game.
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