LSU Decides Against Adding Former NFL Players to Roster Amid SEC Conflict

Two former NFL players who were attempting to play for LSU will not be added to the Tigers' final 105-man roster, according to an ESPN report confirmed by CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello. The roster will be locked for the 2026 season after LSU's late addition of two players Tuesday, ending speculation the Tigers would defy the SEC's rule prohibiting former professional players by allowing Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to join the team.

CBS Sports has confirmed sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and junior defensive end Gabriel Reliford were the last two players added to the roster, perhaps ending a chaotic storyline that has dominated college football since the season began.

LSU deciding not to add the two ex-NFL players comes in the wake of the SEC's threat to expel LSU from the conference, or at least seek the legal authority to do so after Lane Kiffin and the Tigers attempted to sign multiple players to the team who had previously signed professional contracts and were awarded temporary restraining orders to return to college sports after a new NCAA eligibility policy.

CBS Sports' John Talty reported last week that multiple sources believed the league had the necessary votes to do so if the Tigers refused to de-escalate the situation. But Kiffin may have done just that by leaving Wright and Harris off the official squad list, although the saga likely isn't over yet.

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LSU complies with SEC rule

A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction clearing the way for Wright and Harris to play, a move that defies SEC rules. But the SEC's federal suit keeps their long-term eligibility in jeopardy. With two open spots on its roster, LSU decided to fill its roster with players who were not in the crosshairs of the SEC.

Last week, LSU won a court battle in Louisiana after a judge ruled in favor of the Tigers potentially adding two former professional athletes. On the same day, the SEC filed its own lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama. The conference is still fighting to enforce its own penalties on teams that roster former professional athletes, which were passed by a 15-0 vote with LSU abstaining — for obvious reasons.

Prior to LSU's season-opening win over Clemson, the Tigers decided not to add Harris and Wright at the deadline for them to play vs. the Tigers. Kiffin had previously said he consulted his team's leadership committee and said every player was on board with the possible addition of the two former college players who signed NFL contracts as undrafted free agents and participated in preseason training camp.

Kiffin initially balked at the SEC's preference

During Saturday's appearance on ESPN's College GameDay, Kiffin cited "uncertainties" on why neither Harris nor Wright were suiting up for the Tigers against Clemson.

"That wasn't easy, as much as I feel for the players," Kiffin said. "And I believe that you fight for what you believe in. And I believe these kids have an opportunity to play, just like all the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on rosters.

"But at the same time, I'm the head coach of LSU, and 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 have come by adding them to the roster. We couldn't get exact reasons or... what that would mean if we added them, so with that, I made the decision which is in the best interests of the team and the university."

At halftime of LSU's blowout win over Clemson, Kiffin told ESPN with a 31-3 lead, "imagine if we had NFL players" before jogging off the field. In Tuesday's heavy-handed amended complaint from the SEC, the league accused LSU of a lack of institutional control over its athletic department.

The SEC even mentioned Kiffin's halftime phrasing in the complaint.

NCAA's 5-for-5 ruling kicked off debate

LSU wasn't the first school to pursue this path of signing former professional players, CBS Sports' John Talty noted earlier this offseason.

Texas added fifth-year offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who had participated in NFL minicamps but wasn't signed to a contract, following a lawsuit in Texas. Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Hutson was not currently eligible this season, due to an NCAA issue. Hutson participated in minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys last month, but did not sign a professional contract.

A sweeping rule in Colorado also, for a time, allowed the Class of 2022 players to return for a fifth year of eligibility. But that did not include former professional athletes.

CBS Sports previously reported Kiffin and the Tigers reached out to multiple players on NFL rosters or their representation in an effort to get them to bring a lawsuit against the NCAA and return to school, per sources. This includes some of the players who ended up in the Louisiana lawsuit.

Other college football programs also reportedly had conversations with players who remained in NFL camps ahead of the league's cut day on Aug. 30. Prior to last week's court hearing in Louisiana, Kiffin defended his pursuit of Harris and Wright.

"I probably am in the minority of how I make decisions and probably not what most coaches do," Kiffin said during a press conference before facing Clemson in the Tigers' season-opening game last week. "I feel like my decisions should be in the best interest of the players in this room. And not for my reputation and how the decisions play in the national media or other fanbases.

"I've never been that way, but those players and the people that hire me know I'm constantly trying to do the best things for them."