Oregon football coach Dan Lanning rips NFL players returning to college

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College football is seeing many players returning to school after playing for NFL teams, and Oregon football coach Dan Lanning doesn’t like the new reality.

The NIL era has created an unpredictable future for college sports, and in some cases, NFL teams are actually losing players. The 2026 NFL season is nearing kickoff, but college football programs are still finalizing their own squads.

A recent Louisiana court order allowed additional eligibility for various fifth-year athletes. The new five-year eligibility model allows players to either play five seasons starting when they enroll in college or beginning when they turn 19.

This system is only the latest change in the ever-evolving college football landscape. Meanwhile, Oregon’s one of the perennial powerhouses in college football, but Lanning still isn’t a fan of the shift.

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Oregon coach upset with NFL players coming back to college

Despite his mixed feelings, Lanning’s one of the lucky coaches in college football this season. Quarterback Dante Moore decided to return to college for another season despite being a highly-coveted 2026 NFL Draft prospect.

However, other college programs could certainly benefit from late roster additions heading into the fall season.

“I think there’s a lot of negatives that are involved around this,” Lanning said this week. “One, once you go to the NFL, to me, you’re in the NFL. You don’t get the opportunity to come back. Two, 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 to match your roster limits. 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 to have somebody come back.”

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NFL coaches don’t love the shift either

Meanwhile, the NFL isn’t particularly thrilled with what the legal system is affording players either. Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken’s been left dumbfounded by the recent changes.

NFL franchises are losing players in preseason and training camp for a potential shot at further college eligibility. This seemed like a impossibility years ago before NIL. However, the amount of money flowing through college sports has drastically altered that reality.

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