The NFL has shut the door, at least for now, on defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright trying to jump back into the league this season.
According to Tom Pelissero, the league sent a memo to teams making it clear that Harris and Wright are not eligible to try out, visit, or sign with NFL clubs. The timing lines up with the Saints bringing Harris in for a workout on Tuesday, per the NFL transaction wire, which appears to have triggered the clarification from the league.
The wrinkle here is that both players had gone back to LSU in an effort to chase additional college eligibility and get back into college football. They were also pursuing a court case against the NCAA and SEC, but the Tigers and HC Lane Kiffin eventually dropped their pursuit of Harris and Wright. Neither player ended up appearing in a game this season for LSU.
For the NFL, that return to college means both players have given up their ability to come back to the league this year. They’ll be eligible to sign with teams next season, and they won’t need to re-enter the draft.
Harris, 22, came into college as a four-star recruit and the 20th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class out of Canton, Mississippi. He committed to Ole Miss and spent all four seasons there before briefly catching on with the Saints as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft. He later asked for his release so he could try to return to college football.
At Ole Miss, Harris played in 52 games and finished with 123 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one interception, three passes defended, and one forced fumble.
Wright, also 22, began his college career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Ole Miss, where he earned second-team All-SEC honors in his final season. The Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft, then waived him. He landed with the Browns before the preseason, but was cut again after requesting his release to pursue a return to college football.
In 47 games with 29 starts over four college seasons, Wright posted 113 catches for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns.
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