LSU is set to bolster its defensive front with a familiar SEC name. Former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris is expected to join the Tigers for the 2026 season, TigerBait has confirmed, with On3’s Hayes Fawcett first reporting the news Monday afternoon.
At 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds, Harris brings rare size and a proven résumé to Baton Rouge. He started all 15 games for Ole Miss last season during the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run, and he finished the 2025 season with 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks. He also added an interception, four pass breakups and a blocked kick.
Harris spent four seasons at Ole Miss before going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent, but the Saints waived him earlier this month after he had been placed on the non-football injury list.
A recent Louisiana court ruling involving players from the 2022 recruiting class seeking a fifth season of eligibility opened the door for Harris to return to college football. He entered the transfer portal after that ruling and is now set to reunite with Kiffin at LSU.
Harris is the latest veteran LSU has targeted in the wake of the court action. Former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright is also expected to join the Tigers after being waived by the Cleveland Browns, and former Notre Dame EDGE Junior Tuihalamaka committed to LSU last week.
What LSU gets is more than just another big body. Harris played in 54 games at Ole Miss and grew into a full-time starter as a senior, giving the Tigers an interior lineman with plenty of SEC experience.
That experience could matter right away, with LSU set to open its season Sept. 5 against Clemson. The addition marks another aggressive move by Kiffin and LSU as they continue to take advantage of the shifting eligibility landscape just days before the 2026 season begins.
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LSU Is Chasing Another Unusual Lane Kiffin Roster Addition
Lane Kiffin is at it again, and this time LSU could be the destination for a pair of former Ole Miss players whose college futures unexpectedly reopened after brief NFL stops. Zxavian Harris and DaeQuan Wright were both waived by pro teams, and their status has put them back in the center of the eligibility conversation as the Tigers look to continue piecing together their roster for the season ahead.
The twist is that both players are part of a legal case that has given them a fifth year of college eligibility, creating a path back to the college game even after they moved on to the NFL. Kiffin has defended the pursuit, pointing to the court rulings that make them eligible to play, but the situation still adds another layer to LSUs roster-building as the Tigers track whether the move can actually come together. [Read more 🡒]