Lane Kiffin Defends Recruiting Browns TE Dae’Quan Wright Following Court Injunction

After a stop in the NFL, former Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright could be heading to LSU thanks to a court order that is creating havoc throughout college sports by allowing Wright and others an unexpected fifth year of eligibility. Wright’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told The Associated Press on Monday that the tight end had been waived by the Cleveland Browns and, if he clears waivers, will join Lane Kiffin’s roster at No. 11 LSU. If he joins the Tigers, Wright would be the first known player to return to college after playing in the NFL. He may not be the last. At a news conference Monday, Kiffin declined to discuss any specific players, but he did say of the players in the lawsuit: “They’re available to recruit. So, ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them.” Not doing so, Kiffin said, could lead to a situation where “we may end up playing against them.” Wright signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie following the draft. After Philly released him on Aug. 11, the Browns signed him. Wright didn’t play in Cleveland’s two preseason games. Wright played two seasons for Kiffin at Ole Miss. Last year, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns for the Rebels. Wright was among a group of players who sued in a Louisiana court, saying a new NCAA rule granting five years of eligibility to most athletes should apply to him and others who were not “grandfathered” into the rule, which did not include those who graduated high school in 2022. In a statement released Monday evening, the Southeastern Conference said it firmly opposes professional athletes returning to play college sports. “College athletes, not professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference,” the statement said. “Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition. Allowing that to occur will blur the line between college and professional sports, create significant competitive equity concerns and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.” The SEC concluded its statement by calling on Congress to pass a bill regulating college sports. Wright and two others who played for Kiffin at Ole Miss — former New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and Arizona Cardinals safety Wydett Williams — were among those granted a temporary restraining order last week. Former LSU and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Jack Pyburn also was among the plaintiffs. The players can regain their college eligibility if they terminate their pro contracts and repay any pro earnings. Pyburn’s deal with the Bucs guaranteed him $115,000, including a $15,000 signing bonus. “I’m just trying to maximize myself as a player and as a person and play my best football, wherever that is,” Pyburn told The Athletic last week. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31 in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The SEC has its own rule barring transfers inside the conference beyond a designated window in January. Commissioner Greg Sankey sent the schools a reminder about that rule earlier this month, though there’s no certainty on how it would play into Wright’s move to LSU in the wake of the court order. The judge in Louisiana allowed for the fifth year and also ordered the football transfer portal, normally open only in January, to reopen for a week for the players in the lawsuit. “In my opinion, knowing the information, it’s really wrong to be critical of these kids,” said Kiffin, whose move from Ole Miss to LSU last season also created tension between the SEC schools. “They were granted a fifth year by a judge, saying they were wronged by the NCAA. … It’s simply that a judge decided they should have a fifth year, like everyone moving forward will have.” Kiffin suggested that the current recruiting by colleges of NFL rookies is a “totally unique circumstance that came about because of the five-for-five (ruling), and players feeling like they should have known about it before, and because of all the cases around the country. I don’t think we’ll have this (situation) again.” Other coaches, though, have been less supportive. “I think there’s a lot of negatives that are involved around this,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “Once you go to the NFL, to me, you’re in the NFL. You don’t get the opportunity to come back.” Added Florida coach Jon Sumrall: “What I really struggle with is the rules are changing so daily based upon a court ruling, or what happens in a court in Colorado, or a court here, a court in Louisiana. We need to have some continuity and some consistency across the board.” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel also made his feelings known Monday when asked to compare the two-game suspension given to Volunteers linebacker Arion Carter over a $427 plane ticket for a trip to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process before he returned to college. “You guys certainly have a clear picture of how I feel about that entire situation to begin with, even before some of the madness that is college football and rosters,” Heupel said. Reporting by the Associated Press.