LSU’s push to reshape its roster has taken a sharp turn into unusual territory, and Lane Kiffin isn’t backing off. After a Louisiana court ruling opened the door for 16 former class of 2022 players to regain eligibility, the Tigers have started targeting ex-college players who briefly made the jump to the NFL and are now available again.
Kiffin addressed the approach directly on Aug. 24, making clear LSU is treating the ruling as a recruiting opportunity rather than a one-off exception. “We have made a decision to recruit some kids around the country,” Kiffin said. “Through these multiple injunction around the country...a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility around the country.
“Ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them. At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country. So, we've made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are are.”
Among the players already linked to LSU are three names with NFL ties: defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, tight end Dae'Quan Wright and edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka. Kiffin’s transfer-portal approach has become a central part of his effort to rebuild the Tigers after a rough 2025, and the list could still grow with NFL cuts not yet finalized.
Harris was the third of Kiffin’s 2026 recruits to be ruled eligible after the Louisiana decision, and he arrived as the second former NFL player in the group after Wright. Harris spent his final season at Ole Miss putting up 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and an interception.
He went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Saints as a free agent, only to be waived in August in part because of a foot injury. At 6-8, he brings imposing size, and his best game came against Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, when he posted 10 tackles.
Harris also had strong words for Kiffin after the coach left Ole Miss last year. Speaking to On3, Harris said Kiffin’s exit felt like “a slap in the face”, per On3's Chris Low.
“We got something for him. He was just trying to steal our shine,” Harris said.
“That’s all he tried to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do.”
Wright’s path back to college has been just as notable. After catching 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns in his final season at Ole Miss, he earned an invite to the NFL combine and finished with second team All-SEC honors.
He spent time with Philadelphia and Cleveland but never got into a preseason game with either team. The Browns waived him after their second exhibition.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, laid out the situation on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Tuihalamaka gives LSU another experienced option. The former Notre Dame edge rusher was granted an extra year of eligibility after the Louisiana injunction and brings 54 games of experience for the Fighting Irish.
In that span, he recorded 61 tackles, 37 solo tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He was also part of Notre Dame’s team that lost to Ohio State in the 2024 national championship game.
Two more players tied to the same lawsuit could also become names to watch for LSU. Former Ole Miss safety Wydett Williams and former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson were included in the filing with Tuihalamaka, Wright and Harris.
Williams is currently listed on the Cardinals roster, while Hankerson spent time with the Dolphins before being waived on Aug. 24.
Given the Louisiana lawsuit and LSU’s current recruiting push, both could draw interest from the Tigers.
In Other News...
Pete Golding Is Taking A Very Different Ole Miss Roster Approach
Pete Golding is approaching the new NCAA eligibility landscape with a different kind of patience at Ole Miss, even as the changes have already started to reshape rosters across the league. The rule adjustments that allow certain players to come back for a fifth year have created a fresh market for experienced veterans, and former Rebels are among the ones taking advantage of it by moving on to Lane Kiffins current team in Baton Rouge.
Golding has not added one of those players yet, but he has not shut the door on the idea either. His stance is more selective than aggressive, with the Rebels coach saying roster fit and team needs will guide any move as the ripple effects of the eligibility shift keep playing out. Kiffin, meanwhile, has been more active in that same space, underscoring just how differently the two coaches are navigating the same new reality. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Took Unusual Security Steps After Lane Kiffin Left
Ole Miss found itself dealing with more than just the jolt of Lane Kiffins departure to LSU, and the school responded by tightening security around its football facility. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding said the team did not formally call the FBI, but he did confirm that a players father who works for the bureau locally checked the building for listening devices, a detail that underscores how strange the aftermath of the coaching change became around the program.
The Rebels had already taken standard security precautions during their playoff run, but the response after Kiffin left went a step further and reflected the unease that can follow a high-profile exit. For a team trying to keep its focus on the field, even routine operations suddenly carried a little more sensitivity, and Ole Miss made sure the building itself was treated with the same caution as the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Takes A Stand As Former Rebels Fuel A New Concern
The SECs latest statement landed as more than just another conference memo, especially for schools like Ole Miss that have watched the transfer market and roster rules reshape college football almost by the week. By backing the Protect College Sports Act, the league made its position plain: college sports are for college athletes, and the conference wants that boundary protected as the sport keeps blurring lines between the college and pro levels.
For Ole Miss, the issue has a more immediate edge because former Rebels DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both recently waived by NFL teams, are reportedly on track to commit to LSU. Their situation reflects a growing trend of former professional players heading back to college football, a development that could alter how rosters are built and how the 2026 season begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]