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LSU is attempting to take advantage of a controversial legal injunction that barred the NCAA from striking down the eligibility of 16 former college football players — a handful of whom joined NFL rosters during preseason.
Head coach Lane Kiffin has made the transfer portal a vital part of his strategy to revitalize the Tigers roster after a dour 2025. Among the players he has sought out are former college stars seeking a fifth year of eligibility after failing to make the grade as undrafted free agents.
Suffice to say, Kiffin's efforts have proven controversial. And yet, Kiffin has already confirmed he isn't changing his approach any time soon — especially not if the former NFLers feel compelled to sport LSU's colors for one last ride.
In the midst of the controversy, the SEC released a statement, seemingly questioning LSU's decisions to lure these players back from the NFL. However, the conference has yet to do anything else in regards to the situation.
After a Monday evening videoconference of the Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference, the Conference is issuing the following statement: pic.twitter.com/kwWxGz5CQ3
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 24, 2026On Tuesday night, the SEC then announced the enforcement of a policy that will ban players who already went through draft processes from returning to college. The conference joined the Big Ten and the Big 12 in passing similar legislations, while Notre Dame said it also opposes recruiting pro players.
Following meetings with the Presidents, Chancellors, and Athletics Directors of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC will enforce the following policy: pic.twitter.com/LohWnb7G1J
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 25, 2026Notre Dame officials have communicated to both the SEC and Big Ten that the school is aligned with the prohibition on signing players who have been part of professional organizations, sources tell @YahooSports.
The Irish are adamantly opposed to adding pro players.
With that, here's a list of the former NFL players Kiffin has recruited to join LSU in 2026.
MORE: Meet the Browns player making NFL history with return to college to play for LSU, Lane Kiffin
Updated list of 2026 rookies lured back to college by Lane Kiffin
Kiffin looks to have emerged as the patron saint of offering second chances to NFL talent. He has platformed a handful of players' return to college football. With NFL cuts yet to be finalized, it's reasonable to assume that list could grow larger in the days to come.
Here's what we know about the 2026 rookies who are set to turn out for the Tigers after being waived by NFL rosters.
Updated as of Aug. 31.
DL Zxavian Harris
Harris was the third of Kiffin's 2026 recruits to be declared eligible after a Louisiana court ruling declared that 16 class of 2022 players were eligible to return to college. He was the second player with NFL pedigree to land in Baton Rouge, joining Wright, his former teammate with Ole Miss.
During his final season with the Rebels, Harris tallied 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and an interception. He failed to hear his name called during the 2026 NFL Draft, instead signing with the Saints as a free agent. He was waived in August, owing in part to a foot injury. At 6-8, Harris carries elite size. He flaunted his potential during a career-best showing against Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, amassing 10 tackles.
Harris famously ripped Kiffin for his Rebels departure last year, telling On3 that Kiffin's exit felt like "a slap in the face", per On3's Chris Low.
"We got something for him. He was just trying to steal our shine," Harris said. "That’s all he tried to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do.”
TE Dae'Quan Wright
Wright earned an invite to the NFL combine after catching 39 balls for 635 yards and five touchdowns during his final season at Ole Miss. The former Virginia Tech product earned second team All-SEC honors for his effort.
Wright spent time in Philadelphia and Cleveland before returning to the collegiate game. He didn't appear in a preseason game with either side, with the Browns waiving him following their second match. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, explained his situation during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."
"Dae'Quan Wright went undrafted and he's currently on the Cleveland Browns..
He was part of a group of players that filed a lawsuit in Louisiana where they got a temporary restraining order..
Should he be released by the Browns he now has the opportunity to play college… pic.twitter.com/h6lM4Jff39
EDGE Junior Tuihalamaka
Kiffin landed a surprise commitment in Tuihalamaka, the former Notre Dame edge rusher who was granted an additional year of eligibility following the Louisiana injunction. Tuihalamaka played 54 times for the Fighting Irish, recording 61 tackles (37 solo), four sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He was a part of Notre Dame's side that fell to Ohio State in the 2024 national championship game.
EDGE Jack Pyburn
On3 reported Friday that pass rusher Jack Pyburn planned to join LSU if he's cut by the Buccaneers ahead of the NFL's roster deadline. “Pyburn’s intentions were laid out” in recent Louisiana court documents, NOLA.com reported.
Pyburn would have become the fourth player to leave the NFL for LSU, if it unfolded that way, though he made it clear that his priority was making Tampa Bay's roster.
“I don’t want to speak too much on it. My agents are handling it,” Pyburn previously told Greg Auman of FOX Sports. “They’re doing it in my best interests. I’m just focused on playing good football. I love being here. I’ve been going as hard as I can to make this team and be a part of this special organization.”
Players currently in NFL training camps, per the Louisiana ruling, must terminate their professional contract and be waived or released by Sept. 1. Pyburn was waived on Aug. 30, but he was claimed by the Chiefs on Aug. 31, complicating any potential return to the college ranks.
Pyburn played at LSU in 2025. He posted 38 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defended for the Tigers last season.
What Lane Kiffin has said about bringing NFL rookies to LSU
Kiffin confirmed that the Tigers are interested in bringing in ex-NFL talent during a press conference on Aug. 24.
"We have made a decision to recruit some kids around the country," Kiffin said. "Through these multiple injunction around the country...a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility around the country.
"Ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them. At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country. So, we've made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are."
NEW: Lane Kiffin defends LSU’s decision of recruiting an NFL player:
“At the end of the day… they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/21fCEqZdtI
On an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Kiffin also dove deeper into his recruiting of Wright.
"There's all kinds of schools that recruited him. Ask Drew Rosenhaus, his agent, how many schools called and offered him a lot including in our conference and his previous school," Kiffin said, per Brandon Zimmerman. "But he chose us."
Asked for his general thoughts on professionals being able to return to college, Kiffin admitted he's not all-in on the possibility.
"There's a lot of parts of this I don't like. I don't think professionals should come back to college sports and college football," Kiffin said. "But in this instance, these are not players who have gone on to play seasons professionally or randomly filed an injunction. This is part of a specific class that was ruled wrong by the NCAA that was supposed to be 5-for-5."
Did Lane Kiffin call Todd Monken to recruit Dae'Quan Wright?
With the ongoing drama of players like Wright making an attempt to return to college, Browns head coach Todd Monken said last week that as far as he knew, the tight end, on his roster at the time, had a medical issue that "wasn't allowing him to practice," and the team releasing him had "nothing to do with me."
Monken also said Kiffin had contacted him while Wright was still on the Browns roster, but he hadn't returned the call.
"I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago. Now I know," Monken said. "S---, I didn't know, now I know. I didn't call him back, guess I should've."
Kiffin, however, denied that he ever contacted Monken.
"There's some inaccuracies in that story, but I don't know," Kiffin said. "Maybe someone else called him that said they were me. I actually don't know Todd. I guess somebody left him a text or called him that was me, cause I don't know him or have his number."
Dae’Quan Wright is set to return to college football from the NFL, but Browns head coach Todd Monken and LSU head coach Lane Kiffin have different stories about how it happened. pic.twitter.com/3SwqkQOSge
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) August 24, 2026On Tuesday, Monken took a moment to acknowledge the miscommunication, saying he was referring to a text a Browns staffer had received, rather than himself, and that he shouldn't have "thrown someone's name out there."
"I was just making light of it. I was really not trying to make a big thing of it, it was just like, 'Man, what [has this] world come to?' And I shouldn't have thrown that out there," Monken said of his original Kiffin comments. "I can't control this. It was almost silliness and goofiness, like, 'Really, this is what we've come to, where guys can be here and go back to college?'"
#Browns HC Todd Monken on the Dae'Quan Wright situation , Lane Kiffin pic.twitter.com/RPXu8WOgPE
— Alisson Toro-Lagos 🇨🇱 (@atlTVnews) August 25, 2026What other NFL players could join LSU after court order?
Former Ole Miss safety Wydett Williams and former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson were also included in the suit filed by Tuihalamaka, Wright and Harris. The former is currently listed on the Cardinals roster, while the latter spent some time with the Dolphins before being waived on Aug. 24.
With the lawsuit against the NCAA in Louisiana, there appears to be a good chance that they fetch some interest from the Tigers.
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