LSU’s push to bring former NFL players into the program got a major boost after the SEC said it will comply with a temporary restraining order tied to the eligibility fight.
The development clears the way for first-year LSU coach Lane Kiffin to move forward with at least two of the players the Tigers had already lined up after last week’s original ruling. That group is expected to include former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. There is also a chance current Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jack Pyburn could end up back at LSU if he does not make the 53-man roster in September, since that possibility is spelled out in the court filing.
LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade also can officially add RJ Luis to his roster.
The legal backdrop shifted after the initial complaint filed in East Baton Rouge court was amended Aug. 28 to include the Southeastern Conference and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. Judge Will Jorden then issued the temporary restraining order against the SEC and Sankey, and the league office has reportedly told its attorneys it will follow all applicable court orders that allow former professional athletes to return to college and sign with programs.
Darren Heitner, who represents Wright, said in a post on X that the latest order gives schools protection if they choose to add those players.
"To be clear, nothing requires any school to roster any players. However, if the school decides it's in its best interests to do so, the court order should provide sufficient cover," Heitner said. "And to add additional clarity, such cover only exists when it comes to rostering players who are named plaintiffs in the action that includes language in a court order prohibiting the conference from taking action against it institution and its coaching staff."
LSU also has a commitment from former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, though he never signed a professional contract, which means he is eligible to join the Tigers without issue.
The SEC had adopted a new rule after Judge Will Jorden’s initial order granted a fifth year of eligibility to 33 former college student-athletes. That rule barred member schools from signing former professional players from the NFL, NBA and WNBA, and Sankey was given full authorization to punish schools that broke it, including half-season head coach suspensions and a 50% cut of a team’s annual operating budget.
Yahoo! Sports reported Saturday that the SEC’s compliance does not necessarily mean penalties are off the table forever.
According to the report, sanctions could still be enforced later through other court action, including a federal lawsuit or if the SEC wins at trial. The preliminary injunction tied to the complaint remains scheduled for Sept.
In Other News...
LSU Can Add Two Controversial Transfers But One Concern Remains
LSU suddenly has a clearer path to bolster its roster with two unusual additions, as the SEC has reportedly ended its legal fight over professional players signing with teams in the league. That opens the door for players such as Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom have already signed NFL contracts, to join the Tigers under a policy change that has been at the center of a broader conference controversy.
For LSU, the appeal is obvious: extra talent, extra depth, and a chance to take advantage of a rule shift that was designed to curb the pro-to-college pipeline. The lingering question is timing, though, because even with the paperwork situation moving in LSUs favor, Wright and Harris may not be ready when the season opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Former Pro Path Just Got A Huge Boost In Court
A Dallas County judge has given LSU and other SEC schools a short-term opening in the growing fight over former professional athletes in college sports, issuing a 14-day temporary restraining order that restores eligibility for more than 40 players. The order blocks a conference rule that had kept schools from signing athletes with prior pro experience, and it names the NCAA, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey among the defendants.
For LSU, the timing matters because similar legal challenges are already playing out in Louisiana, where some athletes have said they intend to return to college football if the path stays open. The ruling does not settle the larger dispute, but it does pause penalties against schools that roster those players and sets up another round of legal decisions that could shape who is available to take the field next. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs No. 8 Suddenly Carries Big Weight For The Tigers Future
Jersey No. 8 has taken on a little extra meaning around LSU lately because it now connects two players the Tigers are counting on in different ways. Husan Longstreet, the former USC recruit and transfer, arrived with the kind of profile that keeps quarterback futures under a spotlight, and he enters camp as a backup with a chance to grow into more. On the other side of the ball, Ja'Keem Jackson came over from Florida and is expected to help more this season as a cornerback backup with a bigger workload ahead.
For LSU, the number is becoming less about a uniform choice and more about what it might eventually represent on the roster. Longstreet and Jackson both fit the Tigers' broader transfer-add approach, bringing new depth and a little intrigue to a team that is always watching its next wave of contributors closely. The part LSU still has to find out is which one, if either, turns No. 8 into something bigger once the season starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]