Dae'Quan Wright first NFL player to enter NCAA transfer portal
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- Dae'Quan Wright became the first active player to move from an NFL roster to the NCAA transfer portal after the Cleveland Browns waived him on Aug. 24, following a stint on their practice squad.
- Wright, a former Ole Miss tight end who went undrafted, has an agreement in place at LSU if he clears waivers, with Lane Kiffin reportedly orchestrating the return.
- Damien Harris called the move 'embarrassing' and 'elementary,' arguing Wright is 'taking up a roster spot from somebody who is deserving of their time there.'
- Harris warned that NFL GMs would be reluctant to draft similar players, saying: 'these aren't guys I want to draft, because I don't know how competitive they are.'
- Browns head coach Todd Monken called the situation 'crazy' and revealed Lane Kiffin had reached out to him a week before the news broke.
- Wright and a group of other athletes filed a lawsuit in Louisiana and were granted a temporary restraining order allowing him one more college year — a path available because a new NCAA five-year eligibility rule doesn't take effect until next season.
Why it matters: Wright secured his college return through a Louisiana court order rather than the NCAA's new eligibility rule, exposing a legal loophole the leagues haven't closed. Harris's public critique — including his claim that NFL GMs would deprioritize such players — pressures both organizations to address the precedent before more athletes follow the same path.
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