LSU Finalizes Roster Without Ex-NFL Players — SkimNews
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- LSU finalized its 105-man roster by adding sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and junior defensive end Gabriel Reliford, ending the push to bring on ex-NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris despite a Louisiana judge's preliminary injunction.
- Lane Kiffin told ESPN's College GameDay he held the players off due to "uncertainties," saying he made a decision in the "best interests of the team and the university" even though he "believe[s] these kids have an opportunity to play."
- The SEC threatened to expel LSU or seek the legal authority to do so, with multiple sources believing the league had the votes to follow through; the SEC's anti-ex-pro rules passed 15-0 with LSU abstaining.
- The SEC filed a federal lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama on the same day LSU won its Louisiana court battle, and the league's amended complaint accused LSU of a "lack of institutional control" — even quoting Kiffin's halftime "imagine if we had NFL players" remark after LSU's 31-3 win over Clemson.
- CBS Sports previously reported Kiffin and LSU reached out to multiple players on NFL rosters or their representation to encourage lawsuits against the NCAA and a return to school, a strategy not limited to Wright and Harris.
Why it matters: LSU's compliance defuses an existential threat to its SEC membership but leaves Wright and Harris' long-term eligibility in limbo under the SEC's pending federal suit — and the conference's amended complaint, which quotes Kiffin's halftime taunt, signals the legal fight over former pro players returning to college football is far from settled.
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