LSU received a commitment from former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright to return to college football after being waived by the Browns. Wright would become the first player to ever play in an NFL training camp and return to college football thanks to a ruling by a Baton Rouge judge giving him a fifth season of eligibility. LSU coach Lane Kiffin says this situation is unprecedented and you cannot compare it to previous standards.
“Should NFL players come back to college? I believe it doesn’t matter; it isn’t necessarily what I believe; that answer would be no. I think every circumstance should be looked at differently. This is a very unique circumstance,” Kiffin said.
The NCAA approved a new five-year eligibility model this summer that opened the door for hundreds of athletes who just finished their eligibility to file lawsuits to get the fifth year many of their teammates and future athletes will now receive. Kiffin says his obligation is to LSU and its fans and to go recruit the best available players.
“I wouldn’t like to be my boss that hired me and then come and say, ‘Hey, here’s these guys going around the country playing, making teams better, and they’re going to play; from the ruling. Why aren’t we recruiting them?’ Because we may end up playing against them,” Kiffin noted.
Kiffin says eligibility injunctions are not a new thing, and judges are ruling that student-athletes should have been told about and given a fifth season of eligibility along with their peers. He says he and his staff will continue to do whatever it takes to make LSU better.
“We’re always going to look at every avenue to give you the best team; to give you the best players so that you have the best chance to win. And we’re always going to be trying to get better in every area, no matter what,” Kiffin stated.
LSU also received a commitment from returning fifth-year Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka. He did not sign a professional contract.