Former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn has a legal path back to college football in 2026, but that does not mean a return to Baton Rouge is anywhere close to certain.
On Wednesday, a judge granted Pyburn a temporary restraining order, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, giving him the option to play college football next season. The wrinkle is that Pyburn is still tied to the NFL right now. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and, as of Wednesday, remained on their roster after recording two sacks in a preseason game last weekend.
That makes his situation unusual. Players who stick on an NFL roster almost never circle back to college, but this ruling at least leaves the door cracked open if Pyburn is cut.
The legal backdrop matters here. On July 31, Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a class-wide preliminary injunction that lets 2022 high school graduates use their eligibility to return for a fifth year.
That decision followed the NCAA’s adoption of the five-for-five rule, which gives athletes five years of eligibility after they turn 19. Most players in the class of 2022 had already used up their eligibility before that change, so they did not get the extra season.
Pyburn is part of that 2022 group. He spent three seasons at Florida and one at LSU, which puts him in position to benefit from the ruling. The NCAA, though, is appealing Sweeney’s decision, so the fight is far from over.
Even with the legal opening, a move back to LSU looks like a long shot. The Tigers do have a need at defensive end, especially for someone who can hold up against the run, and LSU’s current depth at the position is thin.
But the fit is not clean. LSU’s two starter-level defensive ends are both pass-rush-first players, and Pyburn would likely be more of a rotational piece alongside Jordan Ross and Princewill Umanmielen.
There are other hurdles too. Pyburn would almost certainly need to be cut by Tampa Bay before a college return becomes realistic.
And if he does hit the portal with eligibility in hand, LSU would have to pay to get him. The Tigers have already invested heavily in their roster.
If Pyburn’s goal is to raise his draft stock for 2027, LSU may not be the ideal place to do it. And with the NCAA still pressing its appeal, the whole situation could change again anyway.
For now, it’s a situation worth tracking - just not one that points strongly toward Pyburn wearing LSU purple this fall.
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