Lost in the back-and-forth over LSU’s roster decisions this week was another addition for Lane Kiffin’s group: former Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka, who will be on the Tigers’ roster after being granted another year of eligibility through the courts.
Tuihalamaka’s case stands apart from the situations involving Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. He never attended an NFL training camp, never went through a rookie minicamp, and never appeared in an NFL preseason game.
Wright and Harris did all of that. The distinction matters, and the source material makes clear that their paths into college football look far more like a fallback than Tuihalamaka’s.
Tuihalamaka also originally hoped to return to Notre Dame after winning his fifth year. But Marcus Freeman said earlier this week that the school couldn’t make it work because of the timing.
“For us at Notre Dame, it's just too late [with] the graduate admissions process, and I don't think it would put a person in a good situation this late - school starts on Monday - to have success in the classroom and on the field, so that's been our stance on it,” Freeman told reporters when Tuihalamaka was granted his extra year and then entered the Transfer Portal.
“Our admissions have already done their admissions and cycles. That's where the university and the athletic program stands right now.”
Wright and Harris, meanwhile, were granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday night in a Baton Rouge court, clearing the way for the former Ole Miss Rebels to officially join the LSU roster after earning a fifth season of eligibility. The decision came down on Friday, but neither player has been added to the roster yet.
There’s still concern the SEC could hit Kiffin and LSU with punishment if either player is rostered and then takes the field. That uncertainty keeps the situation alive, even if the door is not fully shut. Both players can still be added to the 105-man roster later in the season, as long as they are enrolled at LSU, which they are now.
Tuihalamaka, though, is already set to go. His move from Notre Dame to LSU was straightforward, and while he won’t start against Clemson on Saturday, he is expected to see some action.
In Other News...
Kirk Herbstreit Just Gave Notre Dame Fans A Huge Reason To Dream
A preseason prediction like this always grabs attention, but it hits a little differently when it comes with real bracket detail. During ESPNs College GameDay broadcast, Kirk Herbstreit not only put Notre Dame in the mix for a serious playoff run, he slotted the Irish as a No. 3 seed on his way to a national championship picture built around wins over Texas and Georgia.
Herbstreit went even further by calling Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr his preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, a nod that adds another layer to the optimism around the program. The final step in his projection sends Notre Dame into a title game against Indiana, and while the road there is only hypothetical for now, it is exactly the kind of forecast that gives Irish fans plenty to talk about before the season even gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is In The Mix For A Recruit Fans Need To Watch
Grant Bowen has quickly become one of the more intriguing recruiting names in Illinois, and Notre Dame is right in the thick of it. The Elmhurst Immaculate Conception standout has drawn more than 30 college offers thanks to his work as both a tight end and an edge rusher, a rare combination that has made evaluators across the country take notice. 247Sports lists him as the No. 102 player nationally and the No. 6 prospect in the state, which helps explain why his recruitment has moved so fast.
Notre Dame jumped in with an offer on January 30, and the Irish offensive staff has shown strong interest since then. For a program that likes to identify versatile athletes with room to develop, Bowen fits the kind of profile that can stay on the radar deep into the cycle. His two-way ability gives schools plenty to sort through, and it should make his next steps worth following closely for Notre Dame fans. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Enters Notre Dame Clash With More To Prove Than Expected
Notre Dame heads into its meeting with Wisconsin carrying the more obvious edge on paper, at least according to David Kenyon of Bleacher Report, who sees the Irish as the more talented team in the matchup. The Badgers still have enough going for them to make this more than a routine early-season test, with a defense built to make things uncomfortable and a quarterback who can add an extra layer to the offense.
Colton Joseph gives Wisconsin a chance to hang around if the game turns into a grind, and that is where the intrigue lies for Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to control the matchup, but the Badgers have the kind of ingredients that can shorten games and complicate projections, which is why this one feels like a useful measuring stick even before the final score comes into view. [Read more 🡒]