LSU Locks Roster Without Ex-NFL Players Wright, Harris — SkimNews
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- LSU locked its 105-man roster for 2026 without former NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, filling the final two spots with sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding and junior defensive end Gabriel Reliford, per ESPN confirmed by CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello.
- The SEC threatened to expel LSU from the conference over the attempted signings, with the league's rule barring former professional athletes having passed 15-0 with LSU abstaining; CBS Sports' John Talty reported multiple sources believed the SEC had the necessary votes to act.
- A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction clearing the way for Wright and Harris to play, while the SEC filed its own federal lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama; the saga "likely isn't over yet," per CBS Sports.
- Lane Kiffin cited "uncertainties" for not suiting up Wright and Harris against Clemson, then at halftime of the 31-3 blowout told ESPN "imagine if we had NFL players" — phrasing the SEC cited in its amended complaint accusing LSU of a lack of institutional control.
- Kiffin and LSU had reached out to multiple NFL players or their representation to bring lawsuits against the NCAA and return to school, per CBS Sports sources, with some of those players ending up in the Louisiana lawsuit.
- Texas similarly pursued adding offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who attended minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys but did not sign a contract; coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday Hutson is not currently eligible due to an NCAA issue.
Why it matters: LSU's choice to fill its two open spots with Anding and Reliford rather than the court-cleared Wright and Harris defuses the immediate threat of SEC expulsion, but the league's federal lawsuit in Alabama and its "lack of institutional control" accusation leave the legal fight unresolved. Kiffin's documented outreach to NFL players and their representation to file suits against the NCAA is now a public record that other programs — Texas among them — are testing, putting broader eligibility rules under coordinated legal pressure.
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