SEC sues LSU and Lane Kiffin over two former NFL players

01What Happened

Pete Nakos reported Thursday that the SEC sued LSU, coach Lane Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry and university president Wade Rousse in federal court to keep former NFL players Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright from playing for the Tigers against Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the same day a Baton Rouge appeals court heard the SEC’s challenge to a temporary restraining order permitting Harris and Wright to join LSU. The conference is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions, arguing that forcing it to accept the players violates its First Amendment rights to associate around its purpose and rules.

The ruling could change LSU’s roster for a marquee opener that Josh Pate’s preseason bracket projects as a matchup between No. 3 seed Clemson and No. 8 seed LSU. It also could establish whether SEC teams can add recently released NFL players without risking conference punishment.

Kiffin said LSU chose to recruit Harris and Wright because another program would have done the same.

“At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they're going to play for someone else around the country. So we've made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are,” Kiffin said.

02Why This One Matters

Harris and Wright were reportedly projected for LSU’s second team rather than the starting lineup, but both bring recent production from Ole Miss, where they played for Kiffin in 2025. Harris made 15 starts and recorded 58 tackles, 27 solo stops, three sacks and an interception. Wright caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 16.3 yards per catch.

Harris was cut by the New Orleans Saints in early August. Wright was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 23. Both then signed with LSU and reportedly practiced with the Tigers before the Clemson game.

LSU is coming off a 7-6 season, including a 3-5 SEC record, but enters 2026 ranked No. 11 in the AP preseason poll and No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches poll. The two former Ole Miss players do not appear to be essential to the starting lineup; they could still change the defensive and receiving rotations if cleared.

03What Most People Are Missing

The legal fight is not limited to whether two projected second-team players can dress. The SEC is testing its authority to enforce a rule barring former professional athletes from returning to college football after a court order allowed Harris and Wright to join LSU.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has said the rule protects the link between college athletics and undergraduate education while preserving opportunities for future student-athletes. The SEC complaint says the defendants “waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season.”

LSU’s reported interest in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Jack Pyburn shows the dispute was not limited to the two players who reached Baton Rouge. Pyburn joined the Kansas City Chiefs after Tampa Bay waived him and remains in the NFL.

04Next Man Up

LSU has not released an updated depth chart showing who would take Harris’ defensive snaps or Wright’s receiving opportunities if they cannot play. The available evidence points to a rotation question, not a starting-lineup overhaul: both players were reportedly projected for the second team.

Their numbers explain why the decision reached court. Harris produced 58 tackles and three sacks at Ole Miss in 2025. Wright averaged 16.3 yards on 39 catches and scored five touchdowns.

05What the Coaches Can Actually Change

The court will decide whether the SEC can block the players. LSU will decide whether to include them on its submitted game roster and, if they are permitted to play, how much they participate.

SEC teams must submit full rosters 24 hours before kickoff. That deadline puts Harris and Wright’s availability close to the roster decision for LSU’s 7:30 p.m. ET game against Clemson in Baton Rouge. LSU has not said whether either player will be included.

Kiffin said he consulted LSU’s veteran leadership council before adding the former NFL players. The ruling, and LSU’s roster submission, will determine whether that decision reaches the field.

06The Pate State Read

The immediate football impact could be modest because Harris and Wright were reportedly headed for second-team roles. The legal impact reaches further: an SEC victory would give the conference a court-backed path to challenge programs that sign recently released professionals, while LSU’s use of the players would put Kiffin and the league in a direct fight before the opener.

07What to Watch Next

1 — The court order. The court has not decided whether Harris and Wright can suit up or whether the SEC will receive the injunctions it seeks.

2 — LSU’s submitted roster. The Tigers’ filing will show whether Harris and Wright remain available for Clemson.

3 — The rotation. If cleared, their defensive snaps and receiving targets will show how LSU uses two players who practiced with the team before the opener.

Kiffin said LSU’s veteran leaders gave him a clear answer about the additions: “And every one of them is emphatic about, 'They can help us win, bring them,' We have a team that's practiced together, worked together, all offseason. But let me say, this is how it works at the next level, and this is how the real world works. They can bring employees into certain jobs to help the company. So that made me feel a little better in the struggle and being torn back and forth.”