Reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, “Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team, and then go back to play in college.” This is as incredible as it sounds, given the unprecedented nature of this move.

Wright initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after going undrafted, and then was claimed on waivers by the Browns. Wright officially entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. He and other athletes won a lawsuit in Louisiana to get a temporary restraining order. This order lets them play college sports for one more year.

Wright will reunite with Lane Kiffin

In 2024 and 2025, Wright played for coach Kiffin at Ole Miss. Last season, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and scored five touchdowns for the team. Now, that Kiffin is at LSU, he will return to play with the coach he shone with.

Wright stands at 6’4″, and weighs 246 lbs. That is a prototypical tight end frame and one that could shine back in LSU under Kiffin. Whether this means Wright will never go back to the NFL or not remains to be seen, but a good season in College Football could elevate his stock massively for the future.

LSU’s offensive lineup for 2026

Under Kiffin, the LSU Tigers should improve massively on offense and have one of the best attacks in the nation. The talent is there, the coaching is there, and now, they add an NFL player to their roster.

• QB – Sam Leavitt
• RB – Harlem Berry
• WR1 – Winston Watkins Jr.
• WR2 – Jayce Brown
• WR3 – Jackson Harris
• TE – Dae’Quan Wright

“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus. I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately,” Daniels wrote on a post on his Instagram stories. “My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”

Unfortunately for Daniels, reports of his team’s cease-and-desist letter to his alma mater went viral and put him in a bad light in the eyes of NFL and college football fans. Moreover, it will be something many will keep an eye on, meaning Daniels may not be able to simply sweep it under the rug.

The root of the rift

Daniels’ legal demand to his former school indicates LSU can no longer use the quarterback’s name, image, and likeness (NIL). Once again, NIL is in the eye of the storm in college football.

However, that’s not exactly where the drama stemmed from. Instead, Daniels didn’t appreciate that the Tigers handed DJ Pickett, a sophomore cornerback, the No. 5 jersey, which Daniels wore when he won the Heisman Trophy in 2023, becoming the third Heisman winner in school history (Billy Cannon in 1959 and Joe Burrow in 2019).

No player has worn Burrow’s No. 9 since the historic 2019 college football season, and there’s an argument to be made that Daniels’ number deserved the same honor.

More drama in Baton Rouge

With this latest chapter, yet another dramatic layer is added to Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Baton Rouge, albeit he has yet to make his debut. Kiffin and LSU already have enough on their plate as they pay close attention to Sam Leavitt’s injury updates going into the new season, and a rift with a school legend is far from ideal. Perhaps unknowingly, Kiffin and the school brought an even bigger problem onto themselves.

It remains to be seen whether LSU will strip Pickett of the No. 5 jersey or if the school will double down on its decision, even if it costs them a relationship with an elite alumnus—and potentially leads to more legal troubles. Daniels hopes things can be worked out behind closed doors, but it feels unlikely considering the college and personal brands involved.

Via his legal team, Daniels’ cease-and-desist letter demands LSU stops using the QB’s name, image, and likeness (NIL). Reports also state that Daniels feels “disrespected” that he is not talked about in the same breath as Joe Burrow, another LSU legend.

This all comes from the fact that LSU gave the No. 5 jersey to cornerback DJ Pickett. Daniels used that jersey number at LSU, and this prompted an ill-feeling from Daniels’ side.

Jayden Daniels vs Joe Burrow LSU stats

For Daniels to be saying he should be in the same breath as Burrow is a bit rich. While both won a Heisman Trophy, their legacies are not even close. LSU didn’t win with Jayden Daniels at the helm. They ended the regular season 9-3 and didn’t even qualify to the College Football Playoff.

Meanwhile, Burrow had arguably the best College Football season ever for a quarterback, guided the Tigers to an undefeated 15-0 season while throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 passing touchdowns, just six interceptions on 76.3% completion, and of course, the National Championship title. That’s why Burrow’s No.9 jersey is retired. He brought accolades to him, but also to the program.

Does Daniels have a chance at winning this?

There are two ways of seeing this: first, in actual court. Second, in the eye of the public. In actual court, there is a way that Daniels’ arguments hold, as his contract states LSU was only authorized to use his NIL for 180 days after his final college game. Publicly, this has not been well-received. Daniels’ priority should be bouncing back from a sophomore slump.

However, this all stems from giving the No.5 jersey to another player. That can’t be changed with the cease-and-desist letter. Legally, a university owns its jersey numbers, team uniforms, and intellectual property. Hence, if they decide to not retire the jersey, they can assign it to any player they choose, in this case, DJ Pickett.

After Kiffin’s dramatic departure from the University of Mississippi to take over as the head coach at Louisiana State University, the Tigers have been under the national spotlight. That means they have a lot to prove, and so does Arizona State transfer Leavitt. Although he could have made excuses just in case things don’t pan out, LSU‘s starting quarterback delivered a bold update on his health.

“I’m 100% right now, and I’ve been 100% for the past few months,” Leavitt admitted during a press conference on Monday. “I really don’t think about [the injury when I’m] out on the field. My health is one thing that I take very seriously. So, it was really never a question for me. So, yeah, I’m ready to go.”

Leavitt’s injury

Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in October 2025, which led to season-ending surgery. That was all she wrote for his time with the Sun Devils, as he would go on to enter the transfer portal and commit to Kiffin and the Tigers.

During the spring, Leavitt underwent a second procedure to remove the pins from his foot. As Leavitt noted during his media availability, he has no more “hardware” in his right foot and faces no setbacks or hurdles in his return to action.

With him fully healthy, LSU expects Leavitt to start in NCAA‘s Week 1, when the Fighting Tigers take on the Tigers from Clemson at Death Valley—the one in Baton Rouge—in a true battle of namesakes and a competition for bragging rights.

Leavitt’s stats in college

At six-foot-two and as a four-star prospect out of West Linn High School in Oregon, Leavitt has become quite the journeyman in college football. The redshirt junior redshirted his true freshman year at Michigan State, appearing in four games, before transferring to Arizona State, where he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship.

So far in his NCAA career, Leavitt has completed 376 of 612 passes (61.4 completion percentage) for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns. Leavitt has also rushed for 816 yards and 10 touchdowns.

His decision-making and tendency to play hero ball still raise eyebrows, but if there’s a school that can make the most out of such a talent, it’s LSU—and Kiffin is the head coach who can help make that possible.

Whether it’s some bitterness speaking or his most sincere thought, Kelly expects—like everybody around the college football landscape—a dogfight when the Tigers take on the Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. However, LSU’s former head coach—hired in 2021 and fired in 2025—predicts the home team to come away with the emotional victory.

“I think this really comes down to, you know, what quarterback plays better,” Kelly stated, via On3. “If Trinidad Chambliss plays to the level that we all think he can, this can be a game that Ole Miss beats LSU.”

The Tigers’ former head coach predicted this would be the program’s first loss of the 2026 NCAA campaign—and it may serve as a bucket of ice-cold water for Kiffin and LSU.

Kelly’s record prediction

Although Kelly believes Chambliss gives the University of Mississippi the edge over Sam Leavitt and LSU, his season prediction highlights how Kiffin’s team might recover from an early rude awakening.

Kelly predicted the Tigers to win their next six games after falling to the Rebels, including victories at Auburn and against Alabama. According to the former head coach’s expectations, LSU’s second loss of the campaign will come in Death Valley at the hands of the Texas Longhorns.

“This is difficult. I think that they probably get beat at the end here. I expect that Texas will win this game,” Kelly confessed.

All in all, however, Kelly predicts LSU will finish the 2026 NCAA season with a 10-2 record. With Kiffin’s Tigers’ losses coming against likely ranked teams, they should still make the College Football Playoff and may even make it to the SEC Championship Game.

The Game 2.0

Still, fans in Baton Rouge may not like the fact that the ex-head coach believes the Tigers will fall in the Magnolia State. The fanbase in Louisiana may not forgive Kelly for it. LSU at Ole Miss is arguably the biggest game of the season, not just for the Tigers and Rebels, but across the entire college football schedule.

College football rivalries are just different, and the feud between Kiffin and his former school, Ole Miss, is trending to be one of the nastiest in 2026. Kiffin has made it clear he still holds love for his time in Oxford, but the fact that he didn’t name Ole Miss nor Chambliss in a recent comment may signal he holds a grudge against the Rebels, just like they do against him.

“Look at the previous place we were at [the University of Mississippi]. The guy [Trinidad Chambliss] didn’t get there until the summer,” Kiffin said, via WGNO News, trying to keep LSU fans calm about the fact Leavitt has undergone surgery and is set to miss the rest of spring football.

Kiffin was recently hit with a subtle shot from Chambliss, who compared him to new Rebels head coach Pete Golding. It seems Kiffin has kept receipts, and fired right back. Knowing Kiffin’s personality, it wouldn’t be all too shocking nor hard to believe.

Why is Leavitt missing spring football?

After transferring from Arizona State to LSU, Sam Leavitt is expected to miss the rest of spring practices in Baton Rouge. As Kiffin stated, this is not news to LSU, as it’s all going according to its timeline for Leavitt. Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in 2025.

Recently, he posted a picture of his foot wrapped in bandages. As fans were quick to jump to conclusions about a re-aggravated injury, Leavitt clarified he had the screws from the initial surgery removed. Leavitt made it clear there were no setbacks and it’s all going according to plan.

The redshirt junior quarterback is set to take over under center in the 2026 NCAA season as Garrett Nussmeier departs for the NFL Draft. Leavitt is facing an early setback, but Kiffin remains confident this is nothing to stress about.

What happened to Chambliss last season?

Offseason drama around his eligibility wasn’t exclusive to this year for Trinidad Chambliss. Last season, the Ferris State transfer had to wait until the summer before he was officially declared academically eligible to enroll at Ole Miss. Thus, he missed crucial stages of the offseason with Kiffin and the Rebels.

Upon arrival, he proved he didn’t need a lot of time to adapt to the playbook. Chambliss hit the ground running in The Literary Center of the South and finished the season with 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and only three interceptions, as well as 527 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. He also led the Rebels to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff before the Miami Hurricanes knocked them out in an instant classic.

Ole Miss vs LSU in 2026

In 2026, Kiffin, Leavitt, and LSU will travel to Oxford to take on Golding, Chambliss, and Ole Miss. It’s set to be a heated showdown in which Kiffin will go up against one of his best creations of his coaching career.

In a cinematic turn of events, the main figure behind Ole Miss’ growth will take on an anger-filled roster filled with players who feel betrayed by Kiffin and will vie to avenge last season’s dramatic chapter.

As is usually the case in college football, reality is stranger than fiction, and the stage is set for one memorable showdown at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the Magnolia State.

“Things don’t happen overnight,” Kiffin told reporters during his press conference. “It takes a lot of work to get a program up to an elite performing program level. And so we’re making some first steps, but there’s a ton of work to do.”

LSU finished last season with a record of 7 wins and 6 losses (3–5 SEC). Frank Wilson ended up coaching the team after Brian Kelly’s dismissal, and in 2026, the Tigers face a new challenge with Kiffin at the helm.

The new challenge for Kiffin

Lane Kiffin’s arrival at LSU in late 2025 sent shockwaves through college football, as he signed a massive seven-year, $91 million deal to lead the Tigers. His new challenge in Baton Rouge involves managing a roster with a reported $40 million NIL valuation while facing immediate “win-now” expectations.

With spring practices currently underway, Kiffin is tasked with restoring LSU to national championship contention in the ultra-competitive SEC. The Tigers will look to be crowned champions once again, something they haven’t achieved since 2019 with Joe Burrow leading the way.

The importance of new additions

While the Tigers have made significant additions, Kiffin knows there’s still plenty of work to be done. Sam Leavitt, coming off his latest stint at Arizona State, will be tasked with leading this team on the field.

“Like I’ve said before, we’ve assembled a good roster,” the HC said. “But at the same time, too, there’s a ton of work that goes into that to get the program back up to where everybody around here wants it to be and the reason we came here.

“It was 7-6 last season. So within that comes change. Within that comes a lot of work, because that’s a long jump to go to the level that I came here to get at and all the people around the program want to be at.”

Nussmeier’s departure

Garrett Nussmeier apologized to LSU upon leaving Lane Kiffin’s program, with his future potentially tied to the NFL. With meetings scheduled with the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and Indianapolis Colts, the quarterback is hopeful about taking the next big step in his career.

“Expectations can be really scary. We don’t look at it that way. We don’t talk that way,” Kiffin reflected during his media availability, via @HValentineLSU on X. “That’s outcome-based, not process-based. It’s much more about the day-to-day, improving our players and coaching better.”

Kiffin made it clear he is focused on ensuring the Tigers go about their day-to-day routine and stick to the plan. If that happens, then they have a better chance of winning on Saturdays. Anything can happen—especially in the SEC—but Kiffin is convinced that if LSU trusts the process, the results will be there for everyone in college football to see.

Kiffin is ready for 2026 NCAA season with LSU

His exit from Ole Miss was far from smooth—some may say Kiffin fled Oxford—and his arrival in Baton Rouge was almost cinematic. It wasn’t too surprising, though. After all, drama is a common ingredient when it comes to Kiffin, and this was no exception. The 2026 NCAA campaign likely won’t be either.

“I had a moment before, just reminding myself of how grateful I am to be here,” Kiffin commented. “But also the responsibility level that I have – to LSU, to the people of Louisiana, to the great players that have played here.”

The time to face the music is coming, though. Come fall, every fan who now adores him will demand to see a winning product on the field at Death Valley. If not, then Kiffin’s charisma won’t do him any favors. And it’s not like the Tigers face a cupcake schedule, whatsoever.

LSU 2026 schedule

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t reach those expectations,” Nussmeier said during a press conference on Monday. “It was a tough year. Lot of adversity. Looking back, it was unfortunate, but it’s going to make me a better player.”

Now, Nussmeier is off to the NFL Draft as Lane Kiffin takes over, along with the arrival of Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt. It’s a new day in Baton Rouge—one that Nussmeier won’t be around to see dawn.

Nussmeier’s numbers in 2025

In an injury-plagued college football season, Nussmeier appeared in 9 games in his final year of eligibility. The former four-star prospect out of the state of Texas threw for 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with LSU in 2025.

The Tigers finished the year with a 7-6 record in the NCAA (3-5 SEC) and closed out the campaign with a defeat against the Houston Cougars at the Kinder’s Texas Bowl (Nussmeier didn’t play). It was a season unlike any other.

Drama was the name of the game, including wave-making episodes like Brian Kelly’s exit and Kiffin’s escape from Ole Miss and arrival in LSU. With him calling the shots from the sideline, the Tigers are set to be in for another boisterous campaign.

Nussmeier’s draft stock

With one month to go before the 2026 Draft, Nussmeier is drawing attention all over the league. He may not be a finished product in this year’s quarterback class, but he has the tools to become a starter in the NFL. Most likely, Nussmeier will be drafted by a franchise that can afford to give him some time to settle in, rather than one in need of a Day 1 starting QB.

Belichick may be an inspiration to Kiffin and every head coach in the nation. However, when it comes to college football, the latter has been around the business for much longer than the former. On that note, LSU’s 34th head coach in program history might be on track to teach the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach a lesson.

North Carolina earned a commitment from Baylor transfer Sean Thompkins and may have called it a day, going away to rest on its laurels. However, in today’s NCAA that is a huge mistake. Now, reports indicate Kiffin and LSU have swooped in, and all signs indicate Thompkins could be flipping his commitment real soon.

“LSU is hosting Baylor transfer offensive lineman Sean Thompkins,” as reported by On3’s The Bengal Tiger. “Thompkins is set to be on campus Thursday and Friday.” Spending two days in Baton Rouge may be all she wrote for Belichick and UNC’s hope to land the redshirt junior in Chapel Hill for the 2026 NCAA season.

About Thompkins

Thompkins was a three-star recruit coming out of Newton High School in Covington, Georgia. As he makes up his mind in his next destination in college football, the 6’5” who can play at both guard and tackle has two years of eligibility remaining.

Thompkins redshirted his freshman year and has appeared in 12 games for the Baylor Bears (1 in 2024 and 11 in 2025). Thompkins committed to North Carolina on early January, but that decision is now being revisited as Kiffin and LSU came knocking.

Keeping Leavitt away from danger

Signing Leavitt was a major victory for Kiffin and LSU this offseason, but it represents only the first step in their plan. If the Tigers are serious about competing for a national title in the 2026 college football season, they must surround the Arizona State transfer with key weapons and strong protection. That is now the primary focus in Baton Rouge.

So far, Kiffin has landed top transfers from across the country, with several coming directly from Oxford, Mississippi. However, the work is far from finished. While the transfer portal window closes on January 16 for most programs, teams that reached the College Football Playoff receive an additional five-day window. As a result, Kiffin and the Tigers will be closely monitoring players from top programs who enter the portal.

Ever since Kiffin announced his decision to leave Ole Miss for the head coaching job in LSU, there hasn’t been a dull day in Baton Rouge. Drama and noise seems to follow Nick Saban’s apprentice everywhere, and the Tigers have learned that quickly. As if the twists and turns around Leavitt’s transfer weren’t enough, LSU has now learned a Big Ten program has signed a former offensive lineman in Louisiana.

“LSU transfer OL Paul Mubenga has committed to Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers,” as reported by college football insider Hayes Fawcett and On3. As Mubenga moves on to his next chapter in Lincoln, he has two years of eligibility remaining.

Mubenga enrolled at Louisiana State University in 2023, but as he redshirted his true freshman year, he will be a redshirt junior in 2026, when he hopes to help Rhule and the Huskers bounce back after a disappointing 2025 NCAA campaign.

Nebraska’s situation

In the blink of an eye, the 2025 season spiraled out of control for Rhule and Nebraska. Dylan Raiola suffered a season-ending injury, which was troubling enough on its own. Shortly after, the former five-star recruit announced his plans to enter the transfer portal.

Raiola has now transferred to the Oregon Ducks, where he hopes to become the No. 1 quarterback in Dan Lanning’s offense. That, however, largely depends on whether Dante Moore declares for the NFL Draft or returns for one last year in college football.

Nebraska needs a QB1

With Dylan Raiola out of the picture, Nebraska is in dire need of a starting quarterback. Mubenga’s addition may be exciting, but Raiola’s departure far overshadows it.

As Kiffin and LSU secured the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal, expect the Cornhuskers to take an aggressive approach with the remaining candidates. However, the pool of prospects is drying up quickly, as every school races to finalize their rosters.

Mubenga and Raiola’s journey

Mubenga (recruiting class of 2023) and Raiola (class of 2024) played together at Buford High School, but they will just miss the chance to join forces in college, as Raiola left Nebraska shortly before Mubenga transferred there.