Governor Jeff Landry believes the SEC is unfairly targeting LSU in the legal battle over athletes seeking a fifth year of college eligibility. In an interview with Fox Business, Landry questioned why the SEC is not taking action against other schools, including Texas, which has offensive lineman Cole Hutson on its roster after he participated in two NFL rookie minicamps.
“He’s (Hutson) playing for the University of Texas; Trinidad Chambliss, he’s in his sixth year at Ole Miss. This is only being picked on because its LSU,” Landry said.
The SEC has sued LSU in an effort to prevent the university from rostering players who spent time with NFL teams during training camp.
Landry also takes issue with national media reports referring to the athletes as former pros or ex-NFL players. He says the controversy could have been avoided if the NCAA had granted the high school class of 2022 athletes a blanket waiver for a fifth season of eligibility when the association implemented its new five-for-five rule.
“320 athletes around the country that were basically told by the NCAA that they could not play another year; so they put themselves up for the draft, only to find out that in the summer the NCAA changed the rule,” Landry noted.
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright is one of the plaintiffs in the Louisiana college eligibility case. Wright was cut by two NFL teams earlier this summer and after he his release from the Cleveland Browns he committed to LSU. Wright says he’s relieved to receive a fifth year of college eligibility.
“You never know, like, what the judge will do; but I still have faith as well, in these lawyers and these guys. They won, and I’m proud of that and I appreciate them,” Wright said.
Wright says he expects to play tomorrow against Clemson. Former Alabama and LSU head coach Nick Saban said on the ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show that if he was LSU, he’d be very careful how to proceed here, because it’s possible a federal or state court could rule these players ineligible and there maybe consequences relative to that.
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