Dae'Quan Wright becomes first NFL player in transfer portal — SkimNews
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- Dae'Quan Wright entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday after being waived by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, becoming the first active NFL player to do so, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
- If Wright clears waivers, he has an agreement to play for LSU in 2026; he would also be the first ex-NFL player to return to college football, having gone undrafted out of Ole Miss after earning second-team All-SEC honors.
- Wright is one of 16 players — with more expected — returning to college after a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order around the NCAA's five-year eligibility clock.
- Despite a Colorado judge (Charlotte Sweeney) clarifying on Aug. 2 that NCAA rules still bar players with NFL contracts from returning to school, teams have remained in contact with active players about a portal return, per sources cited by CBS Sports.
- NFL teams must trim rosters to 53 players by Aug. 30, creating a time-sensitive window for released players to land at college programs on NIL or revenue-share deals for the 2026 season.
- Other players in the wave include ex-Seahawks/SMU RB TJ Harden (2,445 career rushing yards), former Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding (suing in Illinois), ex-Buccaneers edge Jack Pyburn, Ole Miss DL Zxavian Harris, and South Carolina safety DQ Smith.
Why it matters: The Aug. 30 NFL cut deadline now functions as a deadline for college recruiting, not just pro rosters — 16-plus players with pro experience could join college teams before the 2026 season, and programs are openly recruiting NFL-employed players, something the NCAA had explicitly tried to prevent after Judge Sweeney's Aug. 2 clarification.
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