The NFL has shut the door on Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright for the 2026 season, making it clear the two won’t be able to visit, try out for, or sign with any league team.
That memo landed Wednesday and followed a messy preseason run-up that had already knocked both players off LSU’s path. Harris, a defensive tackle, and Wright, a tight end, had been set to join LSU after earlier stints with NFL clubs, but neither player ever made a roster. Both entered the story as undrafted players.
Wright spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. Harris was with the New Orleans Saints.
The NFL’s memo ended any uncertainty about their pro status for the season. As Tom Pelissero noted in a post sharing the league’s message: “Today’s full NFL memo, clarifying that Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright are barred from visiting, trying out with or being signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 NFL season.”
The college side of the issue had already turned into a fight. LSU initially moved forward with Harris and Wright even though the SEC considered them ineligible. The opening came after Baton Rouge District Court Judge William Jorden granted more than 40 ex-NCAA athletes from the 2022 recruiting class a fifth year of eligibility, a ruling that conflicted with the NCAA rule restricting them.
LSU eventually backed off and removed both players from the roster after facing the threat of being expelled from the conference. The situation is now over, but it left behind a hypothetical that drew a strong backlash across the college football world.
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