Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu is returning to play college football for the 2026 season and has been granted a ninth year of eligibility. The school announced Tuliaupupu’s return on social media alongside sixth-year offensive lineman Dylan Jemtegaard.
With this, Tuliaupupu is entering his second season at Montana after starting his collegiate career at USC in 2018. He was sidelined for the entirety of his undergraduate campaign at USC, missing out after two gruelling surgeries impacting his foot (2018) and knee (2020). However, fans aren’t quite settled with Tuliaupupu continuing to stretch his collegiate career at USC in 2018.
On that note, one fan said,
“dude this is ridiculous. Just leave for the NFL already.”
Another fan added,
“Dude going out by week 4 with a knee injury. Bookmark it. Take up chess bro.”
This fan said,
“The guy wants to end his career by retiring as a college football player….interesting.”
Another fan said,
“Wouldn’t you be like embarrassed at some point.”
This fan added,
“College Sports are the goofiest right now.
Basketball players playing professionally coming back to college for March Madness.”
Some fans are even comparing this phenomenon to Alabama signing Charles Bediako, a former NBA G-League player who is now returning to play college basketball. Bediako is currently in the midst of a major eligibility and legal controversy. Bediako was granted a temporary restraining, which allowed him to play five games for Alabama from January 24 to February 7, helping his team go 3-2 over that stretch. However, now that this order has expired, he was denied a motion to play out the 2025-26 NCAA seasons.
How Is Solomon Tuliaupupu Playing A 9th Year?
Solomon Tuliaupupu is playing a ninth year of college football due to a series of severe medical setbacks. He began his career at USC in 2018 but missed his first two seasons because of a foot injury that required surgery. Just as he was returning, he suffered a knee injury in the summer of 2020 that kept him out for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Since he missed four consecutive years of play at the start of his career, the NCAA granted him medical waivers to extend his eligibility.
In addition to his early career injuries, Tuliaupupu missed the entire 2023 season with another knee injury. He finally saw significant action after transferring to Montana for the 2025 season, where he earned second-team All-Big Sky honors. The NCAA recently approved his latest waiver request, making him only the second player in history to receive nine years of eligibility. His extensive time in college has also allowed him to complete both a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in project management.
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