Southern’s season opener just got a little more interesting — and a lot more promising.
The Jaguars will have one of the SWAC’s biggest defensive stars on the field Saturday when they take on Alabama State at 2 p.m. at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Defensive end Ckelby Givens is officially eligible to play.
Givens was added Thursday as a plaintiff in the ongoing Louisiana lawsuit against the NCAA, which is seeking to give more than 30 athletes a fifth year of eligibility, according to a new court filing obtained by The Advocate.
For first-year Southern coach Marshall Faulk, the news means he gets to have one of the most productive defensive players in the conference back on the field.
Faulk had previously said that, “to my knowledge,” Givens was eligible and expected to play. Now, there’s a little more clarity heading into Saturday’s opener.
And Faulk isn’t exactly planning to throw Givens into the fire for 60-plus snaps right away.
Instead, he joked about easing the veteran back into action.
“When we found out that he was coming back, I was like, ‘Man, you know, if we could just get this guy, let’s just say five to 10 plays a game right now, just to kind of bring him up to speed,’” Faulk said.
But anyone who has watched Givens play knows those five to 10 plays could make a difference.
“He immediately steps on the field and guys like that who work hard, who every play they bring and give you everything that they have, is just amazing,” Faulk said.
Givens’ return comes after a complicated offseason surrounding his eligibility.
He was not initially listed among the athletes in the Pyburn v. NCAA lawsuit, which resulted in a temporary restraining order allowing players to compete during the 2026-27 academic year.
Givens had previously been granted eligibility through a class-wide federal injunction out of Colorado. That ruling, however, was later stayed by an appellate court.
Now, Southern can move forward with its fifth-year star.
And that could be a huge deal.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound defensive end has been one of the most disruptive defenders in the SWAC over the past three seasons.
Even with Southern struggling in 2025, Givens remained one of the conference’s toughest players to block. He led the SWAC again with 18½ tackles for loss and added 9½ sacks.
Now, he gets another shot.
For Faulk and Southern, having Givens available for the opener could provide an immediate boost as the Jaguars begin a new era under their Hall of Fame coach.
And if Givens is anywhere close to the player he has been the past two seasons, Alabama State may find out pretty quickly that “five to 10 plays” can be more than enough to make an impact.
