A Baton Rouge judge has given former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and others a route back into college football, ruling against the NCAA on Thursday in an eligibility case that lands squarely in LSU’s lap.
The decision matters most for the Tigers, who are set to benefit from Wright and Harris rejoining Lane Kiffin. Judge William Jorden sided with the players after hearing testimony in the case, including from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
The NCAA’s eligibility rules are being treated as a five-year rule, extended to players from the 2022 recruiting class. Under that framework, players who previously spent time with professional teams should be allowed to return to college within that five-year window.
Kiffin has pushed for Wright and Harris to be on LSU’s roster. The argument, as presented, centers on players who only attended NFL minicamps or were cut before ever making a final roster.
Attorneys for the players said they were not given a chance to return before the NCAA ruled on the five-year eligibility issue. The dispute among the NCAA, the SEC and former pro players is still alive, but Thursday’s ruling dealt it a major setback.
The SEC filed a separate lawsuit against LSU and Kiffin earlier Thursday, seeking to block former professional players in the conference. Even so, this ruling could undercut that effort.
LSU plans to add players with prior NFL experience to its roster, while Sankey and the SEC still reserve the right to push LSU out of the conference. That fight appears headed for another round before anything is fully settled.
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