North Crowley star, state’s top recruit, denied eligibility in tight UIL vote
North Crowley five-star senior cornerback John Meredith III was denied varsity eligibility by the University Interscholastic League on Thursday in a 3-2 vote.
Meredith’s family was appealing a ruling by the District 11-6A Executive Committee made in June. Meredith’s varsity eligibility still remains intact at Euless Trinity, his previous school.
The Texas pledge, the No. 1-ranked recruit in Texas and the No. 1-ranked cornerback nationwide, will not play in his senior season at North Crowley, barring any unforeseen developments.
The UIL can overturn a SEC ruling, but it’s incredibly rare. It happened in 2023 to Southlake Carroll running back Riley Wormley, who is now at USC, after Grapevine-Colleyville ISD presented new evidence on Wormley’s behalf regarding his academics.
Meredith transferred from Euless Trinity, announcing the move to North Crowley on social media in January. Trinity head coach Aaron Lineweaver marked on Meredith’s prior athletic participation form that he thought it was a transfer for athletic purposes.
Meredith’s case for eligibility did not involve residency, as his mother, Chastity Parks, is a peace officer and recently married. According to UIL rules, children of peace officers are granted a special exception to the standard parent residence requirement, as long as there is a major life change, such as marriage.
The new residence Meredith and his family are living in is far closer in proximity to North Crowley High School than Trinity. One of the main reasons the family made a switch was because the 45 minute, or possibly longer with traffic, commute to Euless Trinity was too difficult to handle, and Meredith was struggling in classes due to a lack of sleep.
“He didn’t want to leave Trinity,” Parks said. “He liked his family there, but [the commute] was just very hard on us, and it took a toll. ... We had to pick what was best for him. That was more of a parent decision.”
Parks said she wanted Meredith at North Crowley High School because he missed his father, who died in 2021. He resided in the area, and Meredith grew up within the North Crowley community.
“It felt like we were coming home, coming to North Crowley,” Parks said.
Chair of the SEC, Mike Motheral, brought up the point that Burleson ISD schools, as well as Everman and Crowley, are closer to the residence and questioned the family over choosing North Crowley.
The DEC’s 5-2 ruling to deny Meredith eligibility was because Meredith was not enrolled at a school closer to home, according to Duncanville Chief Athletic Director William Mitchell, who also suggested those schools are better academically than North Crowley.
“Those other schools, that’s not where John grew up,” Parks said. “A lot of his friends, childhood friends who he went to church with, they go to North Crowley. His last year of high school ... We wanted him to go back home. His whole purpose is because of him missing his pop and finishing out his high school years at a place where he was before he passed.”
Lineweaver said the reason he checked the move for athletic purposes was because Meredith didn’t choose the schools closer to his home. North Crowley head coach DeMarcus Harris refuted the claim, saying there was no distinct evidence the move was made for athletic reasons, and supported Parks’ claim that Meredith had friends in the North Crowley community.
During the hearing, Motheral questioned Meredith about discipline issues while at Euless Trinity, such as missing practices or meetings. Meredith’s counsel, Darren Heitner, argued the questions were of little to no relevance to whether his client transferred for athletic purposes.
The SEC did not allow Heitner to ask questions to any party on behalf of the family, which Heitner said was an unfair process. At the end of the hearing, he was granted a closing statement.
“[Talk about choosing closer schools] does not prove anything at all, other than the family deemed Crowley ISD to be a better fit,” Heitner said, emphasizing the family’s right to choose with Parks’ peace officer exemption.
Heitner said in his final statement that Lineweaver originally told Harris he did not think the move was made for athletic purposes. Heitner said he wished to question Lineweaver about what made him change his mind.
“And I must point out, Mr. Lineweaver is also inherently biased,” Heitner said. “As he would have benefited by Mr. Meredith remaining at Trinity. ... There is absolutely no evidence in the record to establish that athletics motivated the decision.”
Meredith, with a 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, earned Star-Telegram All-Area First Team and MaxPreps All-American honors as a junior with Trinity. He is the No. 4-ranked player in the class of 2027 nationwide, according to 247Sports, and runs a 4.32 second 40-yard dash.
Although Meredith is ineligible, the Panthers will enter the 2026 season with two of Texas’ top defensive backs. That includes Arizona State pledge Elijajuan Houston, the 2025 District 3-6A MVP and the 2025 Star-Telegram Defensive Player of the Year, and four-star cornerback Jerry Outhouse Jr., a UCLA pledge.
It’ll be a new era for the Panthers, as head coach DeMarcus Harris is taking over for Ray Gates, who departed to become a defensive ends coach and special assistant to head coach Neal Brown at North Texas.
North Crowley will play in District 11-6A alongside Crowley, Dallas Skyline, Duncanville, Mansfield, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Red Oak and Waxahachie. According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state rankings, three of Texas’ top six teams will play in the group: Waxahachie (1), North Crowley (4) and Duncanville (6).
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 10:51 AM.
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