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.
In Other News...
LSUs Ex-Pro Fight Just Ran Into A Bigger Roster Problem
LSUs roster picture got a lot tighter this week after the Tigers added injured players Aidan Anding and Gabriel Reliford to the official list, bringing the program to the NCAA limit of 105. For a team already juggling roster management and outside scrutiny, the move matters because it leaves no immediate room to add former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, even as the program continues sorting through the broader mess.
The situation has also spilled well beyond the depth chart. The SEC has threatened penalties and even a vote to expel LSU over its efforts to bring in the ex-professionals, while legal action involving LSU officials and the conference is still moving forward. Lane Kiffin has publicly backed the idea of signing Wright and Harris, saying he believed both were deserving of fifth seasons, but for now the Tigers are stuck with a roster logjam and no clear answer on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A Roster Decision Fans Never Expected Under SEC Pressure
LSUs roster crunch got a lot more complicated after the Tigers added Gabriel Reliford and Aidan Anding to their 105-player roster, a move that quickly closed the door on two former NFL contract signees, DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris. The decision comes in the middle of a broader fight that has put the program in an uncomfortable spotlight, with the SEC taking a hard line on athletes who previously signed professional contracts and LSU pushing back on that interpretation.
The timing matters because this is not just a depth-chart issue, but a conference-level dispute that already escalated into an amended lawsuit threatening LSUs standing in the SEC. For now, the Tigers have chosen to move forward with two non-former professional players instead of opening those spots to Wright and Harris, leaving the bigger question unresolved as the legal and conference pressure continues to build. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces Mounting SEC Pressure In Fight That Could Force A Response
LSUs roster decision has turned into a broader SEC headache, with the conference now pressing the school over a move that brought former NFL players back into college football. Tony Clayton, who represents DaeQuan Wright and Zxavaian Harris, publicly took aim at commissioner Greg Sankey after LSU declined to roster his clients and instead added two injured players, a sequence that has only added fuel to an already tangled dispute.
The conference has threatened to expel LSU for violating bylaws that bar former professional players from returning to college, and the matter has spilled into federal court with the SEC, NCAA and LSU all caught in the legal crosscurrents. Lane Kiffin has denied orchestrating the players return, but he has backed them legally, leaving LSU in the middle of a fight that is no longer just about a depth chart and could end up forcing a response from the conference office. [Read more 🡒]