Lane Kiffin targets ex-NFL TE Wright for LSU
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- Lane Kiffin is pursuing former Cleveland Browns TE Dae'Quan Wright, who entered the transfer portal after reaching the NFL—a path opened by recent court rulings and temporary restraining orders expanding eligibility.
- Wright is a former Ole Miss standout, making Kiffin's recruitment of him notable given he left Ole Miss for LSU; Browns coach Todd Monken said he didn't return Kiffin's call, adding "I guess I should've."
- Kiffin defended the approach Monday, saying "they were granted a fifth year and a judge said they were wronged" and arguing it's "wrong to be critical of these kids."
- LSU also landed former Notre Dame DE Junior Tuihalamaka, who received an extra year via a Louisiana court ruling for Class of 2022 athletes; Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman declined to pursue him, citing admissions timing with "school starts on Monday."
- Oregon coach Dan Lanning criticized NFL players returning to college as "unfair to the sport" and "unfair to the players that are on current teams for those guys to be coming back."
- Robert Griffin III wrote on social media that allowing NFL players back into college football is "gross negligence" and that "any coach or school who allows it should be ashamed of themselves."
Why it matters: Kiffin's public posture—recruiting an NFL player from his former program and recruiting another after Notre Dame walked away—shows LSU will treat every court-opened eligibility door as a recruiting lane, while programs like Notre Dame and Oregon publicly refuse. Coaches willing to exploit the rulings stockpile talent; those drawing moral lines cede it.
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