Drew Ott will not be part of the 2016-17 Iowa football team as the NCAA denied his medical hardship waiver request, according to various media reports.

Always considered a long-shot hope, Ott’s process took about as long as it possibly could. With the NFL draft in just a few short weeks, the for the former standout defensive end will have to hope a team is willing to take a chance on him.

Still recovering from ACL and elbow surgeries, Ott does carry a bit of risk for a professional team. He is, however, a unique talent and when healthy was an absolute monster in the backfield.

The decision comes after a lengthy process in which the Big Ten conference agreed to forward his case on to the NCAA, but college sport’s governing body denied it several times. Ott was not allowed to practice or be around the team during the time it took for the NCAA to make the decision and had to be treated like a graduate student.

—Jordan Hansen