Traevon Mitchell Granted Temporary Injunction, Will Remain Eligible for Baylor
Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Traevon Mitchell has been granted a temporary injunction by McLennan County Judge Alan Bennett on Tuesday, allowing him to play at least the rest of the regular season. The trial date is slated for 90 days from now.
Last month, Mitchell received a temporary restraining order that allowed him to play in Baylor’s first two games of the season. Against Auburn, Mitchell was the Bears’ second-highest-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus, as he totaled three tackles and three quarterback pressures. Mitchell played 16 snaps versus Prairie View A&M and posted one tackle.
This is huge news for Baylor after losing fifth-year senior defensive lineman Devonte Tezino with a season-ending ankle injury over the weekend. Tezino was the Bears’ most impactful defender against Auburn, totaling two sacks and a tipped pass that led to an interception.
“We've got some good depth,” Aranda said of the defensive line during his Monday press conference. “I think Tez, after Week 1, was probably our best interior defensive lineman. He graded out the best, and so I just feel horrible for him in terms of all the work he put into it to get to a certain spot. We're certainly going to miss him.”
Aranda went on to mention Mitchell being a big piece in place of Tezino, saying, “But I think we've got guys like Slug. He's got a big court date here coming up. We'd like to have something positive happen there. Otherwise, we're losing two. I think he's a big one. He saw a fair amount of time in the game and really showed himself well.”
Mitchell has been battling to get a fifth year of eligibility since entering the transfer portal this past winter and going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He committed to the Bears on Aug. 12, shortly after a Colorado judge granted a class-wide preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to declare all athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and exhausted their four seasons of eligibility this spring eligible for the 2026-27 athletic year.
That lawsuit has since been stayed, and Mitchell took matters into his own hands by filing his own lawsuit against the NCAA in McLennan County.
There is a slight chance, however, that the NCAA could seek a stay, which would pause Mitchell’s eligibility, but it would likely have to go through the Waco Court of Appeals. The NCAA didn’t attempt this when Judge Ryan Luna granted Hosea Wheeler a temporary injunction in August, a more high-profile case with different circumstances.
Mitchell posted 29 tackles, six for loss and two sacks during the 2025 season at South Florida. Per Pro Football Focus, Mitchell was ranked third among defensive linemen in the AAC with an 80.2 defensive grade and an 82.3 run defense grade. Mitchell also finished with 33 quarterback pressures, which ranked third among defensive linemen in the AAC.
In 2024, Mitchell earned Gulf South Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors at West Florida. The Waldorf, Maryland, native spent his first two college seasons at Chowan University.
