College football’s latest eligibility headache has coaches drawing a line, and Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris is firmly on the side of keeping it there.
Morris said Tuesday that the sport is already juggling enough without adding another layer of uncertainty for players who are trying to bounce back from an NFL cut and return to campus football.
“It’s just one of those things, like, what are we doing right now?” Morris said.
“It’s just one more thing we’re putting on the list that, quite frankly. We don’t have time to deal with and figure out what the rules are and what’s going on.
“It’s just, I mean, at some point, you know, I think there’s got to be some integrity in this game. There has been forever that goes along with sports in general and playing these.
And we taught this from the youth sports up. Like, I mean, if a guy’s competing for a professional job right now in the sport, he should have left college in the back mirror at that point.”
The conversation heated up after tight end Dae’Quan Wright reportedly had an agreement in place to play for LSU if the Cleveland Browns cut him before the start of the 2026 season. He has since been cut, and if no other NFL team claims him on waivers, a college return would be on the table - maybe.
That possibility has sparked a broader response across the sport. Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger reported Tuesday morning that the Power Conferences, including the Big 12, are exploring conference-level rules that would block pro players from coming back to college at their schools.
SEC presidents are expected to direct athletic directors against taking those players, with penalties possible under league bylaws. Dellenger noted that Greg Sankey and/or presidents have the authority to rule a player ineligible and fine or suspend coaches.
The issue sits in the middle of a larger legal and eligibility mess tied to another court order while the NCAA moves toward a five-for-five model.
Lane Kiffin addressed that side of it Monday, telling NOLA.com and others: “The judge found that these players should have been told and should have known that they were going to be eligible for a fifth year, which every player moving forward, every athlete in all sports has,” Kiffin said. “They should’ve known that in December when they were making decisions. Had they known that, they would’ve stayed (in college).”
Kiffin is likely to stay at the center of the debate, since he was the first known coach linked to a publicized arrangement. But he’s not the only one thinking about it. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Monday that schools may have no choice but to consider players who were cut from NFL rosters if they become available.
“If there are teams that have some players out there who are cut from NFL rosters that are gonna be on other teams, we have to at least consider it and look at it,” Day said to On3 and others on Monday. “Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we gotta do what’s right for Ohio State.”
Timing only adds to the tension. Some teams are set to play as soon as Saturday, while most will open the season next Saturday, Sept.
- Oklahoma State’s opener is at Tulsa at 2:45 p.m.
It’s difficult to imagine the matter being settled before then, especially with legal challenges likely to follow from players in the same way they did against the NCAA. Oregon, at least, does not appear likely to join the wave. The Cowboys’ Week 2 opponent is probably safe from this particular debate.
“One, once you go to the NFL, I mean, you’re in the NFL,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said to the Oregonian on Saturday. “You don’t get the opportunity to come back.
… Most of us have built our rosters, and you have a limited roster limit now. So, if you invited somebody back to your team, that means you’re kicking somebody else off your team, right?
“I don’t think that’s fair to the players that worked all summer, all spring, and put themselves in position to be ready to work for a team.”
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