LSU is not backing off its push to add professional athletes, even as the SEC moves to shut that door.
On Wednesday, the conference laid out a new punishment package for any athletic program that brings in pro players: a head coach suspension for half the season, a fine equal to 50% of the school’s budget for that sport and a loss of voting privileges on conference business matters. The SEC presidents had originally been reported as having voted unanimously to ban professional athletes from joining athletic programs, but later reports clarified that only 15 presidents voted because LSU abstained.
That detail fits the bigger picture in Baton Rouge. While other conferences and even the NFL have moved to discourage the return of players from professional ranks to college sports, LSU has been the school most aggressively working to bring those athletes in.
The Tigers made their first splash in football by landing former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright on Sunday. Wright spent two seasons at Virginia Tech and two at Ole Miss, and he closed 2025 with 39 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns for the Rebels.
A day later, LSU added another name from the pro side when New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris announced his commitment. Harris played under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss for four seasons and finished 2025 with 58 total tackles, three sacks and three pass breakups.
Those are the only two former NFL players LSU is known to be targeting for its 2026 football roster, but the school’s interest in athletes with professional experience isn’t limited to football.
On Monday, former St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. received a preliminary injunction allowing him to play for LSU’s basketball team in the 2026-27 season. Luis had been away from college basketball for a year after signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and later being traded to the Boston Celtics before joining the Tigers.
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