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The National Football League circulated a memo to its franchises Wednesday reaffirming existing league rules that prohibit players who return to college athletics from joining an NFL roster that season. The clarification comes as multiple athletes across various sports have attempted to resume their college eligibility after entering professional ranks, creating complications for the NCAA and individual conferences.
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright, released by the Cleveland Browns this week and cleared waivers, is among those seeking a college return. Wright plans to rejoin LSU and reunite with head coach Lane Kiffin, his former coach at Ole Miss. Running back Zxavian Harris, cut by the New Orleans Saints, is similarly expected to sign with Kiffin’s program after competing with Wright during Ole Miss’s College Football Playoff appearance last season.
According to the NFL memo obtained by ESPN, any player released from an NFL contract becomes a free agent eligible to sign with another league team or the CFL. However, those who opt for college will forfeit eligibility for the current season and remain restricted free agents in perpetuity, unable to enter future NFL Drafts.
Both Wright and Harris obtained temporary restraining orders granting them an extra year of college eligibility. However, the SEC and Big Ten recently established eligibility standards—with the ACC and Big 12 following suit—that bar any athlete who has signed with an NFL team, declared for the draft, or attended professional training camps from competing in conference play.
Attorney Ryan Downton, representing multiple players attempting college re-entry, accused the conferences of contemptuous conduct. He told OutKick that the SEC’s unilateral policy changes constitute “cartel-like” behavior designed to circumvent existing court orders, and his team is developing a legal response against both the NCAA and the individual conferences.
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