Former Los Angeles Charger commits to Pac-12 program

The college basketball world has been in turmoil -- even more than usual -- lately because of the case of James Nnaji. A 21-year-old who's played professionally overseas since 2019, Nnaji was taken by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft and, while he never appeared in a regular-season game, he did see action in the NBA Summer League. He was recently ruled eligible -- with four years to play! -- by the NCAA, and made his college basketball debut on Saturday, scoring 5 points and grabbing 4 rebounds for Baylor amid a chorus of boos in a road loss to TCU. 

The long and short of it is that the NCAA, on a losing streak that would've made 1990s Prairie View A&M football blush, has essentially ruled that any non-American player who has not played in the NBA is now eligible to play college basketball. Nnaji was not the first professional basketball player to join the NCAA -- a former NBA G Leaguer, originally from the Central African Republic, was ruled eligible back in September -- but his case felt different in that he's worn an NBA jersey, and now wearing a Baylor jersey.

I've honestly felt hesitant to write about it out of a misguided fear that it would give the wrong person a bright idea. An unfounded fear, it turned out, because it's happening anyway in college football.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Washington State has landed tight end Nathaniel Salmon in the transfer portal. If you're an FBS personnel staffer reading this and feeling a moment of panic because that name isn't on your big board, don't fret. Salmon is a former professional basketball player from New Zealand who camped with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

A 6-foot-5 21-year-old, Salmon played professional basketball in New Zealand and Australia from 2022-24, but last year was picked up as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway program. He spent 10 weeks at IMG Academy training to become a tight end. In April, he worked out with the Chargers.

It's unclear how far Salmon actually got with the club, and there's no evidence to indicate he signed a contract or was ever seriously considered for a roster spot by the Bolts. Salmon had never touched a football before joining the NFL's IPP, so it's no surprise that he's not ready to play at the highest level of a game he's literally never actually played. But, still, it's jarring to see a player who donned an NFL helmet to then play college football. The NCAA granted Salmon four years of eligibility over the summer. 

Traditionally, the line between the NFL and college football was self-evident. The moment you put on a pro helmet, your amateur career is over. But college football is now a professional enterprise. One would assume that the UFL exists for second- (or, in Salmon's case) first-chance players like this, but it pays a lot better to be a Washington State Cougar than a St. Louis BattleHawk. 

And so in this "If you give a mouse a cookie" world, it's only a matter of time until the Salmon case is a springboard to the next bridge too far.

If you can attend a mini camp unsigned and return to college football, why can't you come back if you signed a contract?
If mini camp is okay, why not training camp?
If you went to training camp, why can't you come back if you played in a preseason game?
If the rules are one way for international players, why not Americans?

It's only a matter of time until a player gets drafted and either: A) Doesn't like where he was drafted, or B) Gets cut in training camp, or C) All of the above, tries to sue his way back into college football. 

Frankly, it's surprising it hasn't happened already, and it'll be stunning if a lawyer doesn't attempt to break down that barrier this coming spring.