The line between college and professional football is blurring once again, and a new court ruling is at the center of it. According to FOX 26, the ruling is creating an eligibility mess for the NCAA, opening the door for players who had already signed with NFL teams to go back and play college football.
The clearest examples are two players who spent the summer with pro teams before reversing course. FOX 26 reports that former NFL signees, tight end Daquan Wright and defensive end Zavian Harrison, are returning to college after their time with their pro teams, and are now heading to the transfer portal and on to LSU.
Their path back ran through the courts. According to the account, the players won an injunction and gained entry into the transfer portal, and it is that legal victory that made them eligible to be recruited again despite having signed professional deals earlier in the year.
At LSU, the coach behind the additions is not backing down. First-year Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss, is defending the roster moves and saying he will not apologize for recruiting them, arguing that through the players winning their injunction and entry into the portal, they are simply available to recruit.
Kiffin framed the decision as a matter of keeping pace with everyone else. He said that because of these rulings, the players are either going to play for you or they are going to play somewhere else around the country, so LSU made the decision to recruit them like most programs would. In his words, don't hate the player, hate the game.
The conference itself is pushing back hard. In a statement, the SEC said that college athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference, and that individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition.
The SEC added that the trend creates competitive equity concerns and reduces opportunities for high school students. According to FOX 26, those recruits, 17 and 18-year-olds, are now urging lawmakers to advance a Protect College Sports Act to stop professional players from returning to the college game.