Lane Kiffin is pushing back hard on the idea that he reached out to Browns coach Todd Monken about Dae’Quan Wright.
Speaking Monday, Kiffin said he did not make that call and went even further, saying he doesn’t know Monken at all.
“There’s some inaccuracies in that story, but I don’t know,” Kiffin told the gathered media Monday. Maybe someone else called him and said they were me. Actually, I don’t know Todd, so I guess somebody left him a text or called and said they were me, but I don’t have his number."
Kiffin also said, “Maybe someone else called him and said they were me…”
The exchange comes after agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday that the Browns waived Wright, who, according to reports, has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU if he clears waivers.
Wright then officially entered the transfer portal on Wednesday after he and a group of athletes who filed a lawsuit in Louisiana were granted a temporary restraining order to return to college for one more season.
The situation had prompted Wright to say, “I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out to me a week ago; now I know. I didn’t call him back. I guess I should have.”
Kiffin now disputes that version of events.
Wright played for Kiffin at Ole Miss in 2024 and 2025. Last season, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns for the Rebels.
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Now the focus shifts from the decision itself to what it means for Alabamas ceiling, and thats where the outside evaluations start to matter. Analyst Josh Pate and quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis both weighed in on Russells skill set and why the staff landed where it did, leaving the Tide with a fresh sense of direction and just enough intrigue about how quickly the new starter can make the job look comfortable. [Read more 🡒]