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NFL teams conducted 15 trades on Sunday afternoon as they frantically tried to trim their rosters to the 53-player limit. Only two trades involved draft selections earlier than a sixth-rounder, with most of the players shipped off carrying either a bust or journeyman label.
For some of the players traded or cut, we envision a different path. The NCAA approved a plan for athletes to compete for five seasons, but it does not apply retroactively. State courts in Texas and Louisiana see it differently, allowing prospects with eligibility remaining a path back to the playing field regardless of their professional status. So, what if NFL teams could trade players with eligibility back to college for, say, a player who could help their team now?
While this is a whimsical exercise, it’s not as fantastical as perhaps it should be (thanks Lane Kiffin). With Week 1 on the horizon, here’s a look at seven players with college eligibility returning to campus in exchange for current players bumping up to the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Drew Allar to Texas Tech for RB Cameron Dickey
There’s pain attached with these trades for the college teams. Dickey was a first-team All-Big 12 running back last year with 1,124 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. But after losing out on Brendan Sorsby because of his betting past, the Red Raiders could use a high-level quarterback. So, enter former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who has one year of eligibility.
Allar, a Steelers’ third-round pick, led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals in January 2025. With a big arm and experience, Allar could elevate Texas Tech back to the national championship picture. Dickey would boost the Steelers’ modest running attack.
Chicago Bears LB Keyshaun Elliott to USC for Edge Kameryn Crawford
The Trojans boast their best defensive unit since Lincoln Riley took over in 2022, but they could use an experienced second-level defender. Enter Elliott, a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season for Arizona State, where he recorded 163 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks in two seasons. The Bears drafted Elliott in the fifth round.
Crawford is an elite defensive end — a position of need for the Bears — and should become a solid draft prospect next spring. But with early returns on true freshman defensive end Luke Wafle, USC should be just fine with this trade.
USC’s Kameryn Crawford could be an NFL Draft pick next spring, but in this trade he goes to the Bears for Keyshaun Elliott. (Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect)
Atlanta Falcons QB Jack Strand to Iowa for TE Addison Ostrenga
It was surprising to see Strand, an undrafted free agent from Division II Minnesota-Moorhead, make the Falcons’ final roster, but his stats were off the charts. He threw for 126 touchdowns and 13,161 yards, which ranks 10th all-time in NCAA Division II history.
Iowa has yet to figure out the quarterback situation, so it seems obvious that Strand could help the Hawkeyes. In this case, Iowa hands over Ostrenga, who missed nearly all of the 2025 season with an Achilles tear. While not the upside of budding superstar D.J. Vonnahme, Ostrenga is yet another pro prospect from Tight End U.
Buffalo Bills DE T.J. Parker to Alabama for S Bray Hubbard
The Tide could use a little more of an experienced pass rush. Parker, a second-round pick from Clemson, won’t come cheap, but he would be worth it. Parker’s production was down (five sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss) from a breakout 2024 season, when he had 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, but he’s still a beast at this level.
Giving up Hubbard, a likely first-team All-American, would be a grueling concession, but a trade worth making for Alabama.
Green Bay Packers RB Kaleb Johnson to Oklahoma for SS Peyton Bowen
Johnson is only in his second NFL season, but he has become a bust. A Steelers’ third-round draft pick in 2025, Johnson was dealt to Green Bay on Sunday for a seventh-rounder. But Johnson played only three years in college and would be eligible as a five-for-five player.
Oklahoma’s run offense totaled just 1,540 yards at 3.54 yards per carry last year and didn’t have a runner gain 500 yards. In his 2024 All-American season at Iowa, Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games. Bowen would obviously be a loss for the defense, but the net gain would be huge.
Cincinnati Bengals C Connor Lew to Clemson for S Ronan Hanafin
Lew, a fourth-round pick, should work into a starter’s role in time. But he suffered an ACL tear midway through last fall in only his third season at Auburn. Another year in college could boost him to All-American status and improve his draft stock. Clemson lacks experience at center and would have to give up safety Ronan Hanafin, who would fill a subpackage role on the Bengals’ defense.
Dallas WR Jordan Hudson to North Carolina for future concessions
It seems only right that the Tar Heels pick up a second — albeit less impactful — Jordan Hudson. As a practice-squad player, Hudson wouldn’t cost North Carolina a dime. At SMU, Hudson caught 61 passes for 766 yards and six scores last season.
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