redshirt

noun

red·​shirt ˈred-ˌshərt 

: a college athlete who is kept out of varsity competition for a year in order to extend eligibility

redshirt verb

Examples of redshirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Four other Bears reached double figures in scoring, including redshirt freshman Ty Robinson (13), freshman Luke Moore (12), junior Javion Guy-King (11) and sophomore Cole McCormick (11). —Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026

Flroida’s 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux scored the Gators’ final points on a putback of his own miss with 30 seconds to go, putting an exclamation point on another Alabama beatdown. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026

Downard had six interceptions as a redshirt freshman at Eastern Michigan and was named an honorable mention All American. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026

Right tackle Brandon Baker will also return after starting as a redshirt freshman and looks poised to move to right guard after Texas signed right tackle Melvin Siani from Wake Forest. —Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the red jersey commonly worn by such a player in practice scrimmages against the regulars

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for redshirt

• alert
• assert
• avert
• dessert
• divert
• evert
• exert
• inert
• insert
• invert
• nightshirt
• overt