LSU excludes Wright and Harris from Clemson opener — SkimNews
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- LSU did not include Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris on its roster for Saturday night's season opener against Clemson, despite a Louisiana judge granting a preliminary injunction one day earlier that cleared the way for them to play.
- The SEC filed its own lawsuit against LSU and Lane Kiffin in federal court on Thursday, seeking legal authority to enforce a 15-0 member vote banning professional players from returning to college football, with possible penalties including game forfeitures.
- Harris spent time with the Saints and Wright spent time with the Eagles and Browns after exhausting their eligibility at Ole Miss under 2025-26 rules; Kiffin sought to roster them as other former four-year players gained legal traction for a fifth season under new NCAA rules.
- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called on SEC member institutions to use 'all measures available,' including suspension or expulsion, if LSU allows former professional athletes to play, joining multiple attorneys general from other SEC states who have weighed in.
- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called the concept of NFL players returning to college football 'embarrassing' on Tuesday; LSU's decision means he will not face any former pros in Week 1.
- LSU could still add the players to the roster later this season, but the Tigers 'appear to be taking a measured approach' rather than deploying them immediately after the courtroom victory.
Why it matters: LSU won the legal round it needed to play Wright and Harris but still held them out — a concession to the political weight of the SEC's 15-0 ban and the threat of forfeitures, suspensions, or expulsion from a rival conference commissioner. The SEC's parallel federal lawsuit keeps the fight alive beyond Week 1 and puts every future roster move by Kiffin under legal and reputational pressure.
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