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USF Defensive Back K.J. Sails Eligible to Play 2019 Season

The UNC transfer and #BayMade product’s waiver to play this season was finally granted on Wednesday.

By Nick Simon

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 08 North Carolina at ECU Photo by Jay Anderson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

One of the biggest questions for USF football throughout fall camp was finally answered on Wednesday as junior defensive back transfer K.J. Sails was granted immediate eligibility for the 2019 season and will suit up when the Bulls take the field versus Wisconsin on Friday.

A three-star 2016 prospect out of nearby East Bay, Sails committed to North Carolina where he started 14 games with the Tar Heels and racked up 40 career tackles and 15 passed defensed. He missed the final seven games of the 2018 season due to injury.

Following the firing of Larry Fedora and staff and the passing of both his grandmother and sister in February, Sails elected to return home and transfer to USF in May to both play in front of the hometown crowd and be closer to his two-year-old son.

Awaiting a decision from the NCAA on his waiver request to play immediately, Sails by all accounts made an immediate impact in offseason workout and fall camp, finding himself in the two-deep at cornerback opposite Mike Hampton for the season opener.

And now just 48 hours before kickoff, the NCAA (who has been pilloried all offseason for their handling of these transfer decisions) delivered good news for the Bulls defense by finally granting his request to play.

At this time, there is no word if the waiver request for Tennessee WR transfer Latrell Williams has be granted.