Lane Kiffin may have found a way to make LSU’s season opener even messier.
Former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright is on the way out in the NFL, and if he clears waivers, he has an agreement in place to land at LSU for the 2026 season, according to agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln. That would put Wright back in college football after two years at Ole Miss, where he played under Kiffin, and it would also give LSU a player with NFL experience heading into a Week 1 showdown with Clemson.
The move would be unusual on its face. Wright went undrafted out of Ole Miss in the spring, but the new 5-in-5 ruling would allow the class of 2022 player from Perry, Ga. to return to school if he wants. If he does, LSU would become his third Power Four stop, after Virginia Tech in 2022-23 and Ole Miss in 2024-25.
That alone makes Clemson’s prep a little stranger. Instead of getting ready for a normal early-season road test in Baton Rouge, Dabo Swinney’s team may have to deal with an opponent adding an NFL tight end to the mix right before kickoff.
The timing is what makes this stand out. Clemson already has its own issues, including a new starting quarterback and the indefinite suspension of defensive tackle Vic Burley. So while LSU’s addition of Wright is still pending, Swinney’s group has already taken a couple of recent hits before the season even starts.
The betting market reflects the challenge. FanDuel Sportsbook lists LSU as a 10.5-point home favorite over Clemson, and that number could still move before Sept.
- But first, Wright has to actually enroll at LSU.
There’s also the broader question of whether this kind of move sits well with the rest of college football. The source material makes clear that it may be legal, but not everyone will love it. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has already voiced his opinion on similar situations, and Dabo Swinney’s late arrival to transfer-portal chaos makes the whole thing feel even more awkward.
Kiffin, though, doesn’t seem bothered at all. That tracks.
This is the same coach who wanted to keep coaching Ole Miss in the playoffs after already taking over at a Magnolia Bowl rival before last year’s postseason began. Never change, Lane.
Never change.
For Clemson, the practical reality is simpler: the Tigers have plenty to clean up after an uneven fall camp, and Baton Rouge already looked like a tough assignment. Add in the possibility of Wright joining LSU, and the margin for error gets even thinner.
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