After months of legal battles with the NCAA, Denzel Aberdeen is cleared to play for Florida in the 2026-27 season.
On Tuesday, Judge George M. Wright of Florida's Eighth Judicial Circuit granted Aberdeen a temporary injunction in the fifth-year guard’s lawsuit against the NCAA, making him eligible for this season.
On Thursday, Aberdeen spoke to the media for the first time since the ruling, reflecting on his journey from announcing his transfer on April 10 to Tuesday’s decision.
“It was most definitely frustrating,” he said. “I just kept my faith in god, kept praying day in, day out.”
The Orlando native said he was more nervous during Tuesday’s court hearing than in the 2025 national championship game. He said when Judge Wright said he was “not a sports guy”, he put his head down and tried to act like he didn’t hear it.
When Aberdeen’s waiver for a fight year was rejected by the NCAA in May, the guard said he was devastated but wanted to try again because he’s played against older people his entire life, so it felt fair. His case for a fifth year stemmed from the fact that he played just 40 minutes in his freshman season. On Thursday, Aberdeen said he had no regrets playing his freshman season
“My story is my story,” he said. “What I can control is what I can control, whether it's not playing or playing, I'll do whatever.”
After the decision, Aberdeen’s relief showed when he took to Instagram to share his thoughts. Videos from the courtroom also showed the Orlando native hugging his parents, coaches and teammates.
“Free at last, free at last,” Aberdeen wrote on Instagram. “Thank Gold almighty I’m free at last. The ones who said I wouldn’t last, watch how quick 1 change the past.”
Aberdeen said he received inspiration for the caption when he came across a Martin Luther King Jr. speech while scrolling on TikTok the day before his hearing.
One thing that motivated Aberdeen throughout the process was that he would have the opportunity to be the first in his family to graduate from college.
Despite the emotional rollercoaster he endured during this eligibility saga, Aberdeen had the support of his teammates and coaches. During Tuesday’s hearing, that was on full display.
Numerous teammates were present in the courtroom, including Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu, all of whom played with Aberdeen during Florida's 2025 national championship run. Head coach Todd Golden and assistant associated head coach Carlin Hartman were also in the courtroom Tuesday.
“There were a lot of other guys on the team that wanted to go, but they had class,” Golden said. “For the guys that had been her a few years with him and have a really really close relationship, I think it was important, and it was really nice having them there.”
Amid the chaos, Aberdeen practiced with the team through the summer and fall. He even made the August trip to Los Angeles, which included teammates Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Arturas Butajevas, Alex Lloyd, CJ Ingram, Boogie Fland and Alex Kovatchev.
Now that he’s cleared, Aberdeen is ready to bring his experience back to the Gators.
He spent his first three seasons at Florida, even playing a part in the Gators’ 2024-25 national championship run. During that time, he learned from players like Zyon Pullin, Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard, all of whom are on NBA rosters.
In his sole season at Kentucky, Aberdeen started 35 of 36 games. He finished the 2025-26 season averaging 13.6 points and 3.4 assists per game.
“He's grown a ton,” Haugh said. “You guys are going to see a completely different player than when he left here.”
Aberdeen averaged 17 points across his three outings against the Gators last season; however, Florida came out on top in each of those three contests. He added that Haugh and Condon would talk trash to him throughout those three games last season.
Now, he enters the 2026-27 season as the projected starting shooting guard for a Gators squad expected to be the AP preseason No. 1 team.
But despite Aberdeen’s familiarity with the team, the one starter he has not been teammates with is Fland. The pair will now make up Florida’s starting backcourt, offering a combined 175 games of experience in the SEC.
“We both feed off each other’s energy, especially on the defensive side,” Aberdeen said.
Fland said that, despite not being teammates with Aberdeen, the two have a pre-established friendship from the past two seasons, when they faced each other during SEC play.
“I feel like it goes on the court the way it goes off the court, you know what I mean?” Fland said. “The brotherhood you have off the court, it trickles into the court.”
Now that he is legally cleared to play for Florida, Aberdeen is focused on getting his mind right before the Gators open the 2026-27 season against Miami in Tampa on Nov. 2
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the Fall 2026 men's basketball reporter and a third-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family and rooting for the Miami sports teams.
