LSU’s 2026 roster is set, and the two former NFL players at the center of a messy, high-stakes fight are not on it.
According to ESPN, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris will not be added to LSU’s final 105-man roster. CBS Sports confirmed the Tigers used their last two spots on sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and junior defensive end Gabriel Reliford, closing the door on a storyline that has hovered over college football since the season opened.
The decision comes after days of legal and conference tension surrounding LSU and Lane Kiffin. The SEC had threatened to expel LSU from the conference, or at least seek the legal authority to do so, after the Tigers attempted to sign multiple players who had previously signed professional contracts and were awarded TROs to return to college sports. CBS Sports’ John Talty reported last week that multiple sources believed the league had the votes to act if LSU refused to back off.
LSU had already won a court battle in Louisiana when a judge granted a preliminary injunction clearing the way for the players to suit up, even though that move ran against SEC rules. But the conference’s federal lawsuit leaves their long-term eligibility unresolved.
With two roster spots open, LSU chose to avoid the issue entirely and fill those openings with players outside the dispute.
That followed another major development last week, when LSU won in Louisiana on the same day the SEC filed its own lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama. The conference continues to push to enforce penalties on programs that roster former professional athletes, penalties approved in a 15-0 vote with LSU abstaining.
Before LSU’s season-opening win over Clemson, the Tigers had already decided not to add Harris and Wright by the deadline. Kiffin said he had checked with the team’s leadership committee and that everyone was on board with the possible additions.
On Saturday’s appearance on College GameDay, Kiffin pointed to "uncertainties" when asked why neither player was dressed for the Clemson game.
"That wasn't easy, as much as I feel for the players," Kiffin said. "And I believe that you fight for what you believe in. And I believe these kids have an opportunity to play, just like all the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on rosters.
"But at the same time, I'm the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program-- with the uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the roster. We couldn't get exact reasons or... what that would mean if we added them, so with that, I made the decision which is the best interests of the team and the university."
Kiffin also added fuel to the fire during halftime of LSU’s blowout win over Clemson, when he told ESPN with a 31-3 lead, "imagine if we had NFL players" before jogging off the field.
In Tuesday’s amended complaint, the SEC accused LSU of a lack of institutional control over its athletic department and even cited Kiffin’s halftime comment.
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