Nebraska defensive back DeShon Singleton appears to be on the verge of concluding his college football career. He has dedicated the past three seasons to Nebraska, participating in 27 games. However, his 2023 season came to a premature end after just five games due to an injury, ruling out the option of redshirting and returning for another year. Given that the limit for redshirting players is four games, Singleton was ineligible as he played one play in the fifth game.

The Injury Incident

The injury took place during the first snap against Michigan while Singleton was involved in a running play and got blocked. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule suggested that Michigan's sign-stealing controversy, led by Connor Stalions, might have influenced the block as they could have anticipated Singleton's position. This incident had a significant impact on Singleton's season.

Rhule was determined to secure an additional year of eligibility for Singleton. He appealed to the NCAA, arguing that the Michigan game might potentially be removed from the record books due to the controversy. If that were to occur, Singleton's total games played would decrease to four, making him eligible for a redshirt year. Unfortunately, the NCAA rejected Rhule's argument.

"What happened with DeShon is that he went to junior college and then joined here and played four games, and then one play against Michigan," Rhule said on Monday. "I petitioned to the NCAA because clearly, everything that transpired against Michigan last year seems to have some sort of ambiguity. He got hit during a run play. Did they know it was a run play? Or will that game count in a few years? In my opinion, that game shouldn't have counted. The NCAA disagreed, so he didn't get that year back."

Rhule's Perspective

Although Rhule's appeal was unsuccessful, he believes that Singleton would have likely pursued a career in the NFL even if he had been able to return to Nebraska for another season. Singleton has been a crucial part of the Nebraska defense, which has had an outstanding season.

"I think DeShon would probably have that year and say, 'Coach, thank you very much. I'm going to take my skills to the next level' because I think he's performing exceptionally well," Rhule said. "But I wanted him to have that opportunity. Academically, he could have used that year to complete his degree, and I thought he deserved it, but the NCAA didn't agree."

It is evident that Rhule holds some animosity towards Michigan and Connor Stalions for their sign-stealing scandal that caused a stir in the college football world last season.

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