LSU roster finalized: Lane Kiffin does not add former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to Tigers
CBS Sports has confirmed that sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and junior defensive end Gabriel Reliford were the latest two players added to the roster, perhaps ending a chaotic history that has dominated college football since the season began.
LSU’s decision not to add the two former NFL players comes in the wake of the The SEC’s threat to expel LSU from the conferenceor at least seek the legal authority to do so after Lane Kiffin and the Tigers attempted to sign several players to the team who had previously signed professional contracts and received temporary restraining orders from returning to college sports following a new NCAA eligibility policy.
CBS Sports’ John Talty reported last week that multiple sources believed the league had the votes to do so if the Tigers refused to de-escalate. But Kiffin may have done just that by leaving Wright and Harris off the team’s official roster, although the saga likely isn’t over yet.
LSU complies with SEC rule
A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction that cleared the way for Wright and Harris to play, a move that defies SEC rules. But the SEC’s federal lawsuit keeps his long-term eligibility in jeopardy. With two open roster spots, LSU decided to fill its roster with players who weren’t in the SEC’s sights.
Last week, LSU won a court battle in Louisiana after a judge ruled in favor of the Tigers being able to add two former professional athletes. The same day, the SEC filed its own lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama. The conference is still struggling to enforce its own sanctions on teams that include former professional athletes, which were approved 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 to play the Tigers. Kiffin had previously said he consulted his team’s leadership committee and said all players were on board with the potential addition of the two former college players who signed NFL contracts as undrafted free agents and participated in preseason training camp.
Kiffin initially opposed the SEC’s preference
During Saturday’s appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, Kiffin cited “uncertainties” about why neither Harris nor Wright were preparing for the Tigers against Clemson.
“That wasn’t easy, as much as I feel for the players,” Kiffin said. “And I think you fight for what you believe in. And I think these kids have a chance to play, just like all the other kids around the country who are winning court cases and being put on lists.
“But at the same time, I’m the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision that’s for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program, with the uncertainties of what could have happened by adding them to the roster. We couldn’t get the exact reasons or…what that would mean if we added them, so with that, I made the decision that’s best for the team and the university.”
At halftime of LSU’s blowout victory over Clemson, Kiffin told ESPN with a 31-3 lead, “imagine if we had NFL players” before running off the field. In Tuesday’s harsh amended complaint by the SEC, the league accused LSU of a lack of institutional control over its athletic department.
The SEC even mentioned Kiffin’s halftime quote in the complaint.
The NCAA’s 5 out of 5 ruling started the debate
LSU was not the first school to go down this path of hiring former professional players, CBS Sports’ John Talty previously noted this off season.
Texas added fifth-year offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who had participated in NFL minicamps but was not under 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 allowed, for a time, players from the Class of 2022 to return for a fifth year of eligibility. But that doesn’t include former professional athletes.
CBS Sports previously reported that Kiffin and the Tigers approached several players on NFL rosters or their representatives in an effort to get them to file a lawsuit against the NCAA and return to school, according to 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 Aug. 30 cutoff day. Before last week’s court hearing in Louisiana, Kiffin defended his pursuit of Harris and Wright.
“I’m probably in the minority in how I make decisions and probably not what most coaches do.” Kiffin said during a press conference before facing Clemson. in the Tigers’ season opener last week. “I feel like my decisions should be for the benefit of the players in this room. And not because of my reputation and how the decisions are reproduced in the national media or other fan bases.
“I’ve never been like that, but those players and the people who hire me know that I’m constantly trying to do the best for them.”
