Dae’Quan Wright isn’t alone, but he might be the biggest face of the current movement trying to bring players back from NFL training camps to college football rosters.
Wright, who spent last season at Ole Miss and the summer with the Cleveland Browns, wants to follow his former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU.
LSU opens the season on Saturday night in a marquee matchup with Clemson, and the status of Wright was up in the air throughout the week.
By Friday night, a decision had been made, and it wasn’t necessarily what everyone was expecting. It also isn’t necessarily the final decision, but rather the one that has simply been made for the time being.
Is Dae’Quan Wright Playing For LSU?
Wright isn’t playing for LSU in their season-opening matchup with Clemson.
The Tigers had to finalize their Week 1 roster on Friday night. Wright wasn’t on it.
Neither was another player trying to return from a summer in the NFL, Zxavian Harris.
A Louisiana judge granted a temporary injunction in favor of Wright and Harris, but the SEC created a rule that essentially would bar them from playing.
LSU had to decide whether to go against its conference or not, and in the end, the Tigers played it safe for the season opener.
Nothing about this guarantees that the Tigers won’t try to get Wright onto the field later this season, but for now, he isn’t playing in the NFL or the NCAA.
Is Dae’Quan Wright Good?
Wright was good enough to get a brief glimpse from the Browns this summer, although he never actually appeared in a preseason game.
The Browns specifically also invite plenty of jokes, along the lines of, “How good could he be if it was just Cleveland that wanted him?”
Still, not every player ends up in an NFL training camp. Wright clearly has positive football traits.
The big tight end played his first two college seasons at Virginia Tech. His second year with the Hokies, 2023, featured 28 catches for 366 yards.
That led to a transfer to Ole Miss. In 2024, he had 27 grabs for 394 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2025, Wright had his best college season — 39 catches for 635 yards and five touchdowns.
As a tight end, his 16.3 yards per catch last season was particularly impressive.
LSU already has a strong tight end depth chart, but head coach Lane Kiffin certainly hasn’t shied away from trying to make his roster better. Bringing on board a fringe NFL player certainly would do that.
Wright likely had a nice financial offer coming his way if he could play, but now, he’s in a bit of limbo. It’s not clear what his NFL status will be going forward, or how he will or won’t fit into college football.
All that’s clear right now is that Wright won’t play against Clemson.
Is Dae’Quan Wright Playing For LSU? Browns’ Brief NFL TE Trying Return to College