NFL Reverses Ruling, Clears Harris for 2026 Signing — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- The NFL reversed its Sept. 16 ruling and declared former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris eligible to sign with teams this season because he never participated in an official practice or game with LSU.
- The NFL said it interviewed Harris and agreed with the NFLPA's contention that "plays college football" requires at minimum participation in a practice or game for the applicable college team.
- Harris and Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright had NFL tryouts this summer after going undrafted, then attempted to rejoin former coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued to regain their college eligibility.
- The SEC passed a rule barring former pros from returning to college football, which a Louisiana court put on hold before LSU left both players off its season-opening roster.
- Dae'Quan Wright remains barred from signing with an NFL team under the same Sept. 16 ruling, and his status is apparently unchanged even as Harris has been cleared.
Why it matters: The NFL's reversal creates a two-track outcome: Harris is now free to sign while Wright remains locked out under the same Sept. 16 decision, because the league's narrower reading of "plays college football" — requiring actual practice or game participation — gave it grounds to reinstate only the player who never crossed that threshold.
Ask SkimNews
