Louisiana judge rules in favor of LSU, allowing former NFL players to join team ahead of Clemson game

A Louisiana judge has ruled in favor of LSU in a Thursday hearing on the eligibility of former professional athletes.

With its preliminary injunction against the conference, LSU can continue the process of bringing two ex-NFL players -- tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris -- back to the college ranks without the SEC enforcing its ban on former professional athletes.

In courts around the country, including Louisiana, athletes from the class of 2022 won temporary restraining orders against the NCAA to gain an extra year of eligibility. When the SEC voted unanimously to approve its own ban on former professional athletes, the lawyers for the affected athletes added the SEC and Greg Sankey to those lawsuits, leading to Thursday's hearing.

Just because LSU won this latest battle, it does not mean the fight is over. On Wednesday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called on the SEC member institutions to take matters into their own hands if the Tigers allow former professional athletes to play. Carr said the conference should use "all measures available," including suspension or expulsion.

Sources told CBS Sports' John Talty that other SEC schools have pondered a legal challenge in federal court and possible forfeiture of games. In a statement to CBS Sports, the conference said it will comply with the order while continuing to fight to enforce its rules.

"The order entered against the SEC and Commissioner Sankey is a temporary restraining order, not a final ruling on the merits," the SEC said. "The SEC and Commissioner Sankey are prepared to contest the allegations in the plaintiffs' petition at Thursday morning's hearing and defend the SEC's rights as a voluntary association to fulfill its mission to its member institutions."

With the path cleared for eligibility, at least for the moment, Wright and Harris can be added to the LSU roster just over 48 hours before Saturday's showdown against Clemson in Baton Rouge.

What will Wright, Harris bring to LSU?

Regardless of how you feel about letting former NFL players return to college, the reality is that it's about to happen. So, we may as well analyze what Wright and Harris can offer the Tigers this fall.

In the case of Wright, he joins a tight end room already occupied by athletic freak Trey'Dez Green, but that doesn't mean the former Ole Miss standout will have to play second fiddle. According to 247Sports, Wright posted a 74 percent route-run percentage while averaging 9.9 yards per route, which is three yards more than the SEC average.

That means Wright will be yet another weapon for Sam Leavitt in the LSU passing game, and it will free up Kiffin to get more creative on offense. More two tight end sets are now a very real possibility for the Tigers.

Throughout much of the offseason, the interior defensive line was a big question for the Tigers. They are poised to feature a couple of true freshmen, Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson, at that position.

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Geralds and Anderson are tremendous talents, but they lack college experience, and Harris fixes that problem. With his 6-foot-8 and 330-pound frame, Harris can serve as a cement pillar in the middle of the line, and he played 66% of the defensive snaps while totaling nine tackles for loss and three sacks for the Rebels last year.

Will Kiffin continue to add players?

Will this ruling open the gate for more last-minute additions for LSU? Kiffin may as well make hay while the sun shines.

Former Utah cornerback Blake Cotton recently got a temporary restraining order, and "intends to seek a roster spot at a D-I University in Louisiana," per The Advocate. It doesn't take a private investigator to determine which university that might be.

Prior to the 2025 season, Cotton transferred from UC Davis to Utah, and he started eight games for the Utes. He started in eight games and tallied 30 tackles, two tackles for loss and seven passes defended.

Cotton signed an NFL contract with the Denver Broncos in the offseason, which meant he would have been ineligible under the SEC's ban on former professional athletes. Now, Cotton is free to join an SEC squad, and he should provide reliable depth in the secondary.