Lane Kiffin isn’t backing down from LSU’s latest roster move, and on Tuesday he made it clear he sees the addition of former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright as perfectly justified.
Wright, who was waived by the Cleveland Browns and cleared the waiver wire before planning a return to college football, is expected to enter the transfer portal and follow Kiffin to LSU. The move comes just over a week before the Tigers open the season against Clemson in Baton Rouge.
Kiffin addressed the situation on the Pat McAfee show and framed it as a decision the program had every right to make.
“There’s court orders all over the country issuing the same thing for these players,” Kiffin said. “We followed those, as many coaches did… There’s all kinds of schools that recruited him (Wright).
Ask Drew Rosenhouse, his agent, how many schools offered him a lot to come there, including our conference and including his previous school. But he chose us.
When he decided to choose us I said ‘Hey, just get ready guys this will be Lane Kiffin, LSU, doing something that nobody else is doing.'”
The reaction to LSU’s addition of Wright has been loud, and not all of it positive. Still, Kiffin’s point is simple: if the rules allow it, schools are going to keep looking for ways to use it.
And that’s the bigger picture here. LSU may be taking the heat now, but this probably won’t be the last time a program tries to pull off a move like this. Until a rule is created to stop it - and actually enforced - other teams are likely to follow the same path.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Fires Back As LSU Leans Into Roster Controversy
LSUs roster building has already become a talking point this summer, and Lane Kiffin has not been shy about explaining why the Tigers are adding players with NFL training-camp experience. He pointed to court rulings that gave certain athletes an extra year of eligibility, saying the situation is less about former pro hopefuls simply deciding to come back to college and more about a protected group of players whose eligibility was extended by the courts.
For LSU, the issue is as much about competition as it is about classification. Kiffin framed the additions as part of the programs effort to build the best roster possible, and he noted the value of bringing professional experience back into a college locker room. The controversy may keep drawing attention, but LSU appears content to keep leaning into the advantage it believes these players can provide. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got A D-Line Boost Amid The SEC Eligibility Mess
The SECs latest eligibility ruling has already started to ripple through the conference, creating complications for players who declared, signed or were otherwise tied to NFL teams. For LSU, though, the picture is a little different with Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka, whose path to Baton Rouge has stayed open because he did not sign with an NFL team and is covered by a temporary restraining order.
For the Tigers, that matters because the defensive line has been an area where added depth never hurts in the SEC grind. Tuihalamaka has also cleared the intraconference transfer rule, so LSU is expected to be able to count on him as a reinforcement while the broader eligibility mess continues to sort itself out around the league. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New Roster Plan Just Hit A Brutal SEC Roadblock
LSUs roster plans took an immediate hit when the SEC unanimously approved a new rule banning former professional athletes from joining any football or basketball team in the conference. The move gives commissioner Greg Sankey broad enforcement power, including the authority to sideline schools from competition and suspend coaches or administrators who violate the policy, turning what might have been a simple eligibility issue into a major league-wide restriction.
For LSU, the timing stings because the ban directly affects expected additions Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris, and RJ Luis, all of whom had been on track to help the Tigers in football and basketball. The ruling leaves the program with fewer options as it tries to build out its roster, and it adds another layer of uncertainty to a period when every incoming piece matters. [Read more 🡒]