LSU head coach Lane Kiffin explained his decision to actively pursue NFL rookies who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility in college football.
"Why are we recruiting them? Because we may end up playing against them," Kiffin said Monday, according to Seth Emerson of The Athletic. "And I don't think I'm unique. These guys are being recruited by a lot of guys across the country."
LSU is expected to add two former Ole Miss players who went undrafted in the NFL this year: tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris. Wright was recently waived by the Cleveland Browns. He suited up but didn't play in the team's second preseason game. Harris is also leaving the league to reunite with Kiffin at LSU after spending time with the New Orleans Saints this offseason.
Wright and Harris were among 16 former CFB athletes who were granted a temporary restraining order in Louisiana that allowed them to enter the transfer portal and seek a fifth college season. In June, the NCAA adopted an age-based eligibility rule allowing athletes to play college sports for five seasons, beginning no later than age 19. The new model, however, didn't apply to players who entered college in 2022, such as Wright and Harris.
"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," Kiffin said, according to ESPN's Max Olson. "So we've made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are."
Several coaches expressed disapproval of NFL players returning to college, including Oregon's Dan Lanning. But Kiffin doesn't believe that type of criticism is fair.
"It's really wrong to be critical of these kids," Kiffin added. "They were granted a fifth year by a judge saying that they were wronged by the NCAA and that they should've had the fifth year all along, like all the kids moving forward will have a fifth year."
