Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire isn’t waiting around while the sport’s latest roster loophole plays out.
With college football already defined by nonstop movement through transfers and NIL-era roster churn, a new wrinkle has emerged this summer: players who spent time in NFL camps trying to find their way back to college. Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was under contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns over the past couple months, chose to return to school and follow Lane Kiffin to LSU. Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris was cut by the New Orleans Saints and is also attempting to join LSU.
That path hit a snag on Tuesday, Aug. 25, when the SEC joined the Big Ten in passing a rule that bans players from going pro and then returning to college. The Big 12 has not adopted that restriction, and McGuire says Texas Tech will be watching closely.
“We’ve been monitoring, for the last week or so, how we can add, if possible, somebody to make this team better,” McGuire said. “We haven’t called any NFL coaches. We haven’t scouted any NFL players, that I think some teams have done, but we’re definitely gonna look.”
McGuire made it clear he’s not worried about the optics. His focus, he said, is simple: winning.
“I know this: I get to keep my job if I win, and so I’m gonna constantly look to how we can be better as a team, and be better roster-wise,” he said.
For now, Texas Tech has not been linked to any players who were cut by NFL teams. But McGuire’s stance fits the moment in college sports: if a move is allowed, coaches are going to explore it. And with the rules still unsettled, this could be only the start of a strange new roster lane.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Fires Back As LSU Leans Into Roster Controversy
LSUs roster building has already become a talking point this summer, and Lane Kiffin has not been shy about explaining why the Tigers are adding players with NFL training-camp experience. He pointed to court rulings that gave certain athletes an extra year of eligibility, saying the situation is less about former pro hopefuls simply deciding to come back to college and more about a protected group of players whose eligibility was extended by the courts.
For LSU, the issue is as much about competition as it is about classification. Kiffin framed the additions as part of the programs effort to build the best roster possible, and he noted the value of bringing professional experience back into a college locker room. The controversy may keep drawing attention, but LSU appears content to keep leaning into the advantage it believes these players can provide. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got A D-Line Boost Amid The SEC Eligibility Mess
The SECs latest eligibility ruling has already started to ripple through the conference, creating complications for players who declared, signed or were otherwise tied to NFL teams. For LSU, though, the picture is a little different with Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka, whose path to Baton Rouge has stayed open because he did not sign with an NFL team and is covered by a temporary restraining order.
For the Tigers, that matters because the defensive line has been an area where added depth never hurts in the SEC grind. Tuihalamaka has also cleared the intraconference transfer rule, so LSU is expected to be able to count on him as a reinforcement while the broader eligibility mess continues to sort itself out around the league. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New Roster Plan Just Hit A Brutal SEC Roadblock
LSUs roster plans took an immediate hit when the SEC unanimously approved a new rule banning former professional athletes from joining any football or basketball team in the conference. The move gives commissioner Greg Sankey broad enforcement power, including the authority to sideline schools from competition and suspend coaches or administrators who violate the policy, turning what might have been a simple eligibility issue into a major league-wide restriction.
For LSU, the timing stings because the ban directly affects expected additions Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris, and RJ Luis, all of whom had been on track to help the Tigers in football and basketball. The ruling leaves the program with fewer options as it tries to build out its roster, and it adds another layer of uncertainty to a period when every incoming piece matters. [Read more 🡒]