Of course the Cleveland Browns are the first NFL team to go through this in league history. The Dawgs simply can’t enjoy nice things, or so it seems. Gearing up for the 2026 NFL season, tight end Dae’Quan Wright decided he was better off returning to college football.
With roster cuts coming up and a new season rapidly approaching, the University of Mississippi alumnus is opting to return to school for one more year rather than compete for a place on the Browns’ roster.
As reported by CBS Sports, Wright is entering the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season. As it stands, he is still employed by the Browns and remains an NFL player.
Regardless, Wright could very well return to college, which would mark the first time a professional player has ever returned to play at the collegiate level. Shocking, head-scratching, and unimaginable, this is where college sports stand in 2026. He may not be the last, though.
Dae’Quan Wright with the Ole Miss Rebels.
Historic change in NFL-college football
According to ESPN, Wright was one of 16 NFL players who filed a lawsuit to the NCAA seeking a fifth year of eligibility in college football. After much speculation, a court in Louisiana granted the plaintiff a fifth and last year of college eligibility. Thus, Wright opted to enter the transfer portal, and may soon be followed by others.
Players who could be headed back to college
In addition to Wright, the former Ole Miss standout and current Browns player, many more names in NFL training camps could be eyeing a return to the NCAA. Running back T.J. Harden of the Seattle Seahawks, an SMU alumnus, and EDGE Jack Pyburn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a former LSU Tiger, were among the players that filed the lawsuit. Thus, they might enter the portal, too.
Although NCAA rules and a Colorado judge’s ruling state that the extra year of eligibility isn’t granted to players who sign NFL deals, the temporary restraining order issued in the Bayou State could change everything and pave the way for Wright and others to return to college football.
