LSU hit pause on a roster decision that could have pushed the Tigers into a full-blown SEC fight, but the door isn’t shut yet for two former NFL players.
The school did not place tight end Dae'Quan Wright, defensive lineman Zxavian Harris or cornerback Blake Cotton on its roster before the SEC’s Week 1 deadline. That choice came even though Louisiana issued an injunction that lets Wright and Harris, both plaintiffs in the lawsuit, play college football in 2026 after signing NFL contracts.
For now, the conference’s rules are the wall LSU ran into. In recent weeks, every Power Four league approved measures designed to block former pro players from returning to college football. The SEC’s version carries real bite: a school that plays one of those players could be hit with penalties that include a half-season suspension for the head coach and a fine equal to 50% of the program’s annual budget.
That threat clearly mattered. According to CBS Sports' John Talty, discussions behind the scenes even included the possibility of expulsion from the league, and LSU backed off.
But the story is not finished.
SEC bylaws still give teams a path to add players during the season, provided the player is enrolled in the school. Harris and Wright said Thursday that they were already enrolled, which keeps the possibility alive. And because LSU opened the season with just 103 players on its roster, the Tigers would have room to bring in two players later if they choose to do so.
In Other News...
LSU Just Got Caught In College Footballs Eligibility Chaos
A Baton Rouge judge was weighing whether two former NFL players could suit up for LSU this fall, another sign of how unsettled college footballs eligibility rules have become. For the Tigers, it is part of a wider mess that now stretches well beyond campus and into courtrooms, where questions about who can play, when they can play and under what conditions are being argued almost as often as they are decided on the field.
Now the issue is heading to Washington, where Sen. Ted Cruz has been pushing the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act as a way to set federal standards for eligibility, NIL and transfers while giving the NCAA limited antitrust protection to enforce its rules. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill between Sept. 15 and 23, and LSU's latest brush with the chaos shows why college sports leaders are under growing pressure to find something more stable before every roster question turns into another legal fight. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Clemson Statement Just Sparked A Bigger Early Season Question
LSUs season-opening rout of Clemson did more than announce the Tigers as a team to watch, it also put several of its best players in the league spotlight. After the 51-10 win, three LSU players were recognized by the SEC, with Sam Leavitt earning Offensive Player of the Week honors, Jordan Seaton landing Lineman of the Week on offense and Jordan Ross taking home Defensive Lineman of the Week.
The awards only sharpen the early-season conversation around LSU, because a performance that dominant tends to raise the bar quickly. When three different players are honored after one game, it suggests the Tigers were not just sharp in one area, but carried the kind of balance and physical edge that can travel into the rest of September and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Former LSU Tigers Took The Clemson Rout Into The Saints Locker Room
LSUs 51-10 win over Clemson did not stay on the field for long. By the time several former Tigers who now play for the New Orleans Saints got back around their own locker room, the victory had turned into a bit of cross-team mischief, with Saints players using the result to needle a couple of former Clemson teammates in a way only pro athletes seem to appreciate.
Travis Etienne Jr. and Bryan Bresee came back to decorated lockers, with LSU-themed items waiting for them courtesy of Saints teammates Barion Brown, Davon Godchaux and Will Clapp. Brown and Godchaux are still active players, while Clapp has moved into a coaching role on the Saints offensive line, and the whole thing added a little extra local flavor to a win LSU fans were already enjoying. [Read more 🡒]