OXFORD - Pete Golding isn’t looking to turn the latest college football eligibility fight into a public argument.
With former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris expected to transfer to LSU after signing undrafted free agent deals, the Ole Miss coach said he sees the issue from both angles and isn’t interested in piling on. Both players were granted eligibility on Aug. 19 after a Louisiana court ruling, according to media reports.
"I'm not going to get into my feelings about what I think it does for the sport," Golding said Aug. 24.
"I don't think we've got enough time to deal with that type of stuff. But I think all of us have a responsibility to our current roster and a responsibility in the chair that you are in also to produce a really good football team."
That ruling has created a tricky roster problem. Even if a school can bring in a player, it still has to live within NCAA roster limits, which can force a coach to make room by moving on from someone who would otherwise have stayed. Golding said that’s the part that makes this situation so difficult: the job is about winning, but it’s also about managing the commitments already in the building.
"This one is unique because of the timing of things," Golding said. "Kind of like we talked about in the last press conference. Here are the guidelines in which you are responsible for managing a roster, and there's numbers and specific things that obviously you've got to do to put yourself in a position to win."
The LSU connection only sharpens the edge here. Wright and Harris are expected to head to Baton Rouge ahead of Ole Miss’ Week 3 home game against LSU on Sept. 19, adding another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of tension. Lane Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss just before the 2025 College Football Playoff remains part of the backdrop, and Harris had initially criticized that move.
Golding, who is heading into his first full season as a head coach, said the shifting legal landscape makes it hard to lock into any one approach. Lawsuits can be stayed or overturned, which leaves schools trying to plan in the middle of constant change.
For now, he says he likes where the Ole Miss roster stands. The Rebels are not expected to add anyone unless an injury changes the picture.
"Obviously it's unique times," Golding said. "I think every year it's been a little something different, kind of since COVID there been something new to manage and go through.
It's always very fluid. Feels like it changes every day with a different court case and all those type of things."
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 🡒]