The SEC’s latest ruling has put a hard stop on a potential roster move for LSU, and it has also given Paul Finebaum another opening to aim at Lane Kiffin.
At the center of this mess is the class of 2022 and the new “five-for-five” rule that passed this offseason. The change gives players five years to play five years, and it ends the old setup where players could be redshirted because they played four or fewer games or because of injury. That shift opened the door for some 2022 recruits who had used up their eligibility last season to chase a fifth year.
But the SEC drew a clear line. Players who signed a contract with an NFL team, another professional football league, the NBA/G-League, or the WNBA, or an affiliate, cannot return to play in the conference.
That decision directly affects LSU’s hopes of adding tight end Dae'Quan Wright. Wright played last season for Ole Miss, where he was coached by Lane Kiffin, and this offseason he has spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns. Under the SEC’s ruling, that makes him ineligible to suit up for the Tigers.
Finebaum used the situation to take a shot at Kiffin on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”
"Everybody talks about Kiffin," Finebaum said. "'He's not the only one.'
No, nearby he's not. But if there's something nefarious going on, you know that Lane Kiffin is going to be nearby.
It's just a fact. That's who he is.
That's what his character is."
The ruling adds yet another layer to what has already been an eventful offseason for Kiffin. After leaving Ole Miss for LSU, he has stayed front and center in the college football conversation, and the Wright situation only added more attention around his program.
For LSU, the SEC’s decision settles Wright’s immediate future. For Kiffin, it gives the sport another round of chatter about his name showing up whenever the conversation turns messy.
In Other News...
LSU Camp Is Sending An Early Message About Clemson
LSUs preseason camp is already producing the kind of early readouts that tend to matter once the real games start, and one of the clearest so far has come from the defensive side. Cornerback PJ Woodland has come away impressed with new quarterback Sam Leavitt, while also noting the edge Lane Kiffin has brought to the building and the steady presence of senior safety Ty Benefield as a defensive leader.
With Clemson looming as LSUs opener, those practice impressions carry extra weight because they hint at how sharp and how combative this team may be when the spotlight turns on. The offense is still settling in, the defense is leaning on experienced voices, and the Tigers are trying to make sure the first game of the year feels less like a measuring stick and more like a statement. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Is Fueling A Debate LSU Fans Can't Ignore
Lane Kiffin is back in the conversation around LSU in a way that has nothing to do with play-calling, but plenty to do with perception. The Ole Miss coach appears as the villain in a new Dr. Pepper "Fansville" commercial set to air this football season, adding another layer to a rivalry that already carries plenty of edge for Tigers fans. It is the sort of pop-culture cameo that can make a familiar name feel even more pointed when it circles back to Baton Rouge.
And for LSU, Kiffin's shadow is also part of the personnel story. The Tigers have signed former NFL players DaaQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom entered the transfer portal after being cut from NFL teams, and both previously played for Kiffin at Ole Miss before he became LSU's head coach. Even in a separate setting, that overlap invites the same debate LSU fans have not been able to avoid: how much of Kiffin's influence still reaches into the program he now faces from the other sideline. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Huge SEC Eligibility Fight
A quiet roster wrinkle at LSU suddenly sits inside a much bigger fight over who gets to keep playing in college athletics. A group of roughly 30 athletes filed a lawsuit seeking a fifth year of eligibility, and a temporary restraining order soon opened the door for former NFL players to join LSUs roster, adding an unexpected layer to an already unsettled eligibility landscape.
The SEC has since responded with a new rule aimed at keeping those players off the field, but the issue is far from settled. Legal experts say the conferences move could face a challenge in court, and recent decisions around college sports eligibility suggest this is one of those disputes that may keep moving from the field to the courtroom before anyone gets a final answer. [Read more 🡒]