Get this: Dae’Quan Wright, the tight end who played for both Ole Miss and the Cleveland Browns, is officially committing to Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers through the CFB transfer portal. This isn’t just another portal move, though. Wright just cleared NFL waivers and is expected to sign with LSU, and if you’re not paying attention to why this is huge, you should be. This move is groundbreaking in a way that could shake up the football world.
Nobody in Football Is Ready For This Kind of Precedent
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped the bombshell Sunday that Cleveland was waiving Wright, but the real kicker is what Schefter added later: Wright is believed to be the first player who could actually play for an NFL team and then go back to college. Let that sink in. An active NFL player, fresh off a practice squad stint with the Browns during training camp, is now headed back to the collegiate ranks. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports confirmed Wright is indeed the first *active* NFL player to hit the collegiate transfer portal. This isn’t some fringe player; this is a whole new frontier for college football and the NFL. Max Olson, also from ESPN, reported that Wright, along with former SMU running back TJ Harden, former BYU offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho, former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, and a handful of others, are entering the portal thanks to a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana court. That ruling made them eligible to return to college, part of a lawsuit involving 33 athletes, including 16 football players, all seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
Wright’s Return Is a Game-Changer for LSU
Wright might have gone undrafted back in April, but this dude can ball. In his final season with Ole Miss, he was a force, hauling in 39 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns. He was instrumental in leading Ole Miss to a College Football Playoff spot, even scoring a touchdown in their SEC win over South Carolina and another in the CFP loss to Miami in the national semifinals. His former Ole Miss teammate, Zxavian Harris, who also went undrafted in April, piled up 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defended, and one interception during the 2025 season. Wright’s talent is undeniable, and now he’s bringing that game-changing ability to LSU, thanks to this unprecedented path back to college.
It’s absolutely wild to think about the implications of this. A player going from an NFL team back to college? Lane Kiffin just landed a proven talent in Dae’Quan Wright, and it changes everything we thought we knew about player eligibility. We’re all going to be watching to see how this plays out for Wright and for college football as a whole. This is a moment that’s going to be talked about for a long, long time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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