‘That Wasn’t Easy’ — LSU HC Lane Kiffin Reveals Why He Didn’t Allow Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris To Play vs. Clemson

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LSU is at the center of that discussion, with two of its football players declaring for the NFL Draft, signing with NFL teams, then being waived and opting to return to college football. This controversy has been a frequent topic of discussion.

After LSU’s decision regarding their game against Clemson on Saturday, this topic figures to remain at the forefront for a bit longer.

LSU Opts to Wait to Add Former NFL Players to Its Roster

Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris are two players who returned to college football following brief stints in the NFL, having gone undrafted and signed with teams before being waived or released shortly after.

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It was unclear whether players would be allowed to return to college football after brief NFL stints, as many conferences have banned it and are opposed to it. The SEC is one of the conferences that are strongly opposed to this, but after a Louisiana judge ruled that former NFL players could play at LSU, it appeared Wright and Harris would be able to suit up for the team.

However, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin opted to hold the two players out of their first game of the year against Clemson.

“That wasn’t easy. As much as I feel for the players, and I believe you fight for what you believe in . . . I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU, and the LSU football program with the uncertainties of what potentially could’ve come by adding them to the roster,” Kiffin said on College Gameday.

“We couldn’t get exact reasons or exact what that could mean if we added them, so with that I made the decision, which is the best interest of the team and the university,” Kiffin added. “We’re excited to be playing a great game today here in front of these fans.”

Given the uncertainty surrounding whether there could be repercussions or anything else, Kiffin and the LSU football program decided that it was best to play their first game without them, as the situation gets sorted out and what is set to happen becomes clearer.

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Both Wright and Harris previously played under Kiffin at Ole Miss, which undoubtedly played a part in their decision to choose LSU upon returning to college football.

In two years at Ole Miss, Wright caught 66 passes for 1,029 yards and nine touchdowns, while ranking as the No. 20 tight end in PFN’s College Tight End Impact Metric in 2025.

Meanwhile, Harris played four years at Ole Miss, registering 123 tackles (59 solo, 64 assists), 17.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble, while ranking No. 36 in PFN’s College Defensive Tackle Impact Metric in 2025.

LSU will gear up for its first game without the two former NFL players and will look to start its season out on a positive note against Clemson.

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In the meantime, LSU and its football program are hoping to have more clarity on the situation surrounding former NFL players playing for their school ahead of their Week 2 game against LA Tech on Saturday, September 12.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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