LSU football news: Dae'Quan Wright addition could breach SEC rules
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LSU is preparing for one of the most unusual roster additions in college football, with former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright agreeing to join the Tigers for the 2026 season after the team waived him on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though his return to college football still must overcome a major SEC hurdle.
The arrangement can only move forward if Wright clears NFL waivers. He originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft before being waived and subsequently claimed by the Browns on Aug. 11.
The bigger complication involves the SEC’s rules on transfers between conference schools. Wright played his final two college seasons at Ole Miss, meaning a move to LSU would be an intra-SEC transfer. The conference currently prohibits such transfers outside the sport’s regular NCAA transfer window immediately following the championship segment. It remains unclear whether that restriction applies to an athlete returning from the NFL after gaining eligibility through court proceedings.
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SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has already advised league programs to proceed cautiously when handling athletes whose eligibility was restored through legal action.
Wright’s opportunity stems from a lawsuit filed in Louisiana by 16 football players among 33 athletes across multiple sports seeking another season of college eligibility. A temporary restraining order allowed the football players involved to regain eligibility for 2026 and enter the NCAA transfer portal. Wright officially entered the portal Wednesday.
The legal situation followed several challenges to NCAA eligibility rules. Wright’s college eligibility had ended after the 2025 season because he graduated from high school in 2022 and had completed four seasons. He was not initially covered by the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rule, which begins with athletes enrolling in fall 2027.
On July 31, a federal court in Denver ruled that high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth college season could compete for another year in 2026-27. The NCAA later received a stay from the Tenth Circuit, but that decision did not eliminate state-court cases involving athletes who had already obtained restraining orders.
If Wright ultimately joins the Tigers, he would reunite with Lane Kiffin, who coached him at Ole Miss in 2024 and 2025. Wright’s final season with the Rebels included 39 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns across 15 appearances. He would also provide LSU with additional tight-end depth behind Trey’Dez Green.
Wright is believed to be the first player with an NFL contract to arrange a return to college football.
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