The landscape of college athletics has changed a lot over the years and now in 2026 we are seeing more and more players seeking extra eligibility.
The recent news includes court rulings for an extra year of eligibility in some states. We’ve seen some states allowing for a fifth year with a court order, while others have not yet granted their year. But for former Duke Blue Devils forward Mark Mitchell, he’s found a new home through the ruling.
On Friday morning, Mitchell received a temporary restraining order via a Jefferson Circuit Court ruling in Kentucky, allowing him to pursue a fifth season of college basketball. Just a few hours later, he entered his name into the transfer portal. And it didn’t take long for him to find a new home.
Mitchell committed to Kentucky on Saturday night after entering the portal with a do-not-contact tag. This will be Mitchell’s third school, as he spent time at Duke and Missouri before getting this fifth year.
The 6-foot-9 Mitchell spent two seasons at Duke, averaging 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists in that time. He then transferred to Missouri, where he spent the past two seasons of his career. But with the recent development, he opted to return to after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Mitchell’s move to Kentucky is huge for the Wildcats as Mark Pope has reworked his roster to get them to hopefully be a contender. In two seasons with the Tigers, he was named an All-SEC selection and averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 33.7 minutes per game. He shot 55 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range. If he does play this upcoming season, Mitchell will be the only player to play for both Duke and Kentucky.
As part of the 2022 class, Mitchell was ranked No. 13 nationally, No. 3 among power forwards and No. 1 overall in the state of Kansas. He earned a five-star ranking from both Rivals and 247Sports, picking Duke over programs like Kansas and UCLA in his recruitment.
The attention will now turn to the courts to see if these rulings hold or not.
