LSU does not roster former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris for Clemson opener
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, two players cut by NFL teams during training camp, were not on the roster LSU coach Lane Kiffin submitted to the NCAA on Friday ahead of the 11th-ranked Tigers’ opening game against Clemson, a team source confirmed to The Athletic. The source spoke under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
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The news came hours after Clemson notified LSU that if the LSU football team chooses to play former professional players in Saturday night’s game in Baton Rouge, it could be in breach of the game contract between the two schools.
Wright and Harris are among about 20 former college athletes granted a temporary injunction by a Louisiana judge Thursday night. The ruling opened a path for them to return to college football, despite NCAA and SEC rules that prohibit pros from bouncing back to play in college.
The legal fight over eligibility rules that has engulfed college sports escalated Thursday when the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against LSU in Alabama to counter the anticipated ruling for the players in Louisiana. The NCAA has said it will appeal the Louisiana decision.
Wright has been practicing with the team, and Kiffin has indicated that he would use these players if he can.
While the NCAA has been handcuffed in enforcing its rules by legal challenges, the SEC and other conferences have tried to step in by codifying similar policies against college teams rostering former pro athletes.
SEC schools approved a policy last week, plus penalties for violators that include potential multimillion-dollar fines and suspension of a head coach for up to half a season.
The Louisiana ruling prevents the SEC from imposing its rules — and LSU from keeping those players off the team — but the conference is ready to take that question to court in Alabama, where the league office is located.
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LSU president Wade Rousse released a statement earlier Friday saying university leadership was reviewing the pertinent judicial decisions, laws and policies, but did not commit to the players being added to the roster.
Wright and Harris played for Kiffin at Ole Miss and started all 15 games for the Rebels last season. Kiffin took the LSU job after the regular season ended and with Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss did not allow Kiffin to continue coaching the Rebels while also working for their SEC rivals.
Wright was one of the SEC’s top ends, catching 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns. LSU already has an elite tight end; the 6-foot-7, 242-pound Trey’Dez Green was among The Athletic’s preseason All-Americans. Wright signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent this spring and spent two weeks with the Cleveland Browns during the preseason.
Harris totaled 58 tackles (9 for a loss) last year in his fourth season as a contributor. He signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent and was waived in August. On Monday, Kiffin said LSU would consider fortifying the position of defensive tackle with another player. Another defensive tackle in the lawsuit, Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka, also practiced with LSU this week. Unlike Harris and Wright, he never signed with an NFL team.
NCAA rules require teams across all sports to submit a roster the day before their first competitions to track compliance with roster limits. In football, schools can have no more than 105 players on their rosters.
Schools are not required to have 105 players. If a team does have an open roster spot, it can add a player later in the season if that athlete was an enrolled student at the time of the roster submission. There are some exceptions where a team can replace a player on its initial roster.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.