AUBURN | Sharife Cooper took a step forward in gaining his eligibility but there’s still one more big hurdle to overcome.

Auburn’s freshman point guard was able to return to practice Monday, a source confirmed to AuburnSports.com. He’s still waiting for a final ruling from the NCAA on his initial eligibility.

Rated a 5-star and the nation’s No. 5 point guard and 22nd overall player, Cooper was Auburn’s top signee in the 2020 class. He was able to practice during a portion of preseason but was held out while Auburn, the SEC and NCAA looked into his eligibility.

Cooper has attended all of Auburn’s home games this season and worked out on his own while sitting out practice.

Auburn, 5-2, hosts Appalachian State Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network.