Hurricanes TE petitioning NCAA for a record ninth year of eligibility
No FBS player in college football history has been granted a ninth year of eligibility. Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick is hoping to be the first.
The 25-year-old Oregon native is petitioning the NCAA to allow him to play for an unprecedented ninth year. McCormick and Northern Illinois linebacker Kyle Pugh currently hold the NCAA record most years of eligibility granted with eight.
"On the field, you're in your own zone," McCormick told 247Sports. "At the end of the day, we're just playing football. I think it comes up outside of football. It just depends, like, 'Oh hey, I've read about your story.' But it's not really a big deal. People don't really [bring it up], other than people who don't know the story."
McCormick began his college career with the Oregon Ducks in 2016. He spent seven seasons with the team before transferring to Miami in 2023. The 6-foot-5 tight end redshirted during his freshman season but played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman the following year.
As a redshirt sophomore, McCormick missed the entire 2018 year after suffering a season-ending broken ankle in the season opener that required multiple surgeries and robbed him injury of his next three seasons. However, the NCAA granted him a sixth and seventh year of eligibility in 2019.
In 2020, McCormick missed his redshirt senior season with another injury but was granted an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played in the first two games of Oregon’s 2021 season before being sidelined the rest of the year with yet another injury.
He appeared in 13 games for Oregon in 2022, catching 10 passes for 66 yards and three touchdowns while being named the recipient of the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Through three games with Miami this year, McCormick has two receptions for 28 yards.
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