Xavion Alford has had his waiver request for eligibility denied by the NCAA, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham confirmed on Monday.

Alford, a fourth-year defensive back who was viewed as a likely starter in the ASU secondary, began his career at Texas before transferring to USC. In January, the NCAA Division I Council passed legislation aimed at limiting two-time undergraduate transfers and, in the months since, the NCAA has denied the vast majority of requests made.

Alford is the latest.

“I just don’t understand it,” Dillingham said Monday. He added that the decision was “ridiculous.”

A Pearland, Texas, native, Alford signed with Texas out of high school. He appeared in four games as a reserve safety in 2020 before transferring to USC in the spring of 2021.

Alford appeared in 11 games for the Trojans during the 2021 season and started twice. Then the coaching staff changed over.

In 2022, Alford missed spring ball with an injury and then sat out the entire season. Coach Lincoln Riley said Alford had a “small medical procedure” that caused him to miss time.

Midway through ASU’s training camp last month, Alford tweeted that “punishing” players for leaving a school that “didn’t want them” was sad. The NCAA also denied an eligibility waiver for ASU wideout Jake Smith.