By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU football coach Lane Kiffin does not see himself as a maverick portal recruiter of NFL players and others recently ruled eligible for 2026 by various federal and state court rulings in this extremely unique time in college athletics.
“We made a decision to recruit some players around the country through these multiple injunctions and temporary restraining orders across the country,” Kiffin said at a press conference on Monday amid criticism nationally for going after such players recently ruled eligible.
That includes NFL players.
Kiffin became the first coach in college football history to add an NFL player to his roster via the transfer portal on Sunday in former Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Dae’Quan Wright, whom Kiffin coached while he was Ole Miss’ coach last season before coming to LSU.
“All of a sudden there’s some players in a new portal,” Kiffin said.
Wright (6-foot-4, 246 pounds), who caught 39 passes for 635 yards for College Football Playoff semifinalist Ole Miss (13-2, 7-1 SEC) in 2025-26, still has to clear waivers as every NFL team has a chance to claim him after Cleveland cut him. But he is expected to join LSU’s team.
Last Wednesday, Wright entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after East Baton Rouge Parish 19th District Court Judge William Jorden granted a temporary restraining order to a large group of athletes, including Wright, suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility in 2026.
Wright and other athletes who began their college careers in 2022 sued the NCAA over its new rule allowing athletes to play five seasons in five years, instead of the previous rule of four seasons in five years. Since the NCAA rule is only for athletes beginning their college careers in 2023, the legal action began. And plaintiffs with college careers beginning in 2022 have been getting temporary restraining orders and injunctions from various state judges allowing them to play in 2026.
“The judges decided they should have an extra year,” Kiffin said. “They started to get injunctions around the country, so, we’re recruiting them. They were made eligible. The judges found that these players should’ve been eligible for a fifth year. They did not know they were going to become eligible.”
Kiffin also added Notre Dame senior edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka, who benefited from the same ruling by Jorden, on Friday to his roster.
Lane Kiffin’s 2-minute portal offense scores!https://t.co/ZQZHGViRvX
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) August 21, 2026
A reporter asked Kiffin about a Southeastern Conference rule that prohibits transfers from one SEC school to another outside of the scheduled portal window earlier in the year. Wright’s transfer to LSU from Ole Miss breaks that rule conceivably.
“I can’t really say anything about that,” Kiffin said. “This is an extremely unique situation, and I don’t think you’ll have this again.”
Asked about the criticism he is receiving for jumping head first into this new portal, Kiffin said, “That’s probably easy to figure out. I understand that. That is what it is. Any time someone’s first out of the gate with something, that happens. But there are a lot of people trying to do the same thing. Other coaches are trying to do the same thing. But these players (Wright and Tuihalamaka), they chose you. So you get attention.”
A reporter asked when Wright and Tuihalamaka will be joining the team at practice.
“I’m not getting into that,” he said. “There is so much gray area.”
For one, the players temporary restraining orders will elapse by Aug. 31, and they will need another ruling. LSU opens the season on Sept. 5 against Clemson.
Kiffin was also asked if he has spoken to his current players about suddenly adding new players, which could hurt team chemistry.
“Our guys know we’re in the relentless pursuit of excellence,” Kiffin said. “We’re always going to look at every avenue to give you the best chance to win.”
TODD MONKEN COMMENTS
Kiffin was asked about Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken’s comments on Saturday in which he said Kiffin called him about Wright and left a message.
“I found that interesting. There are some inaccuracies in that story,” Kiffin said. “Maybe somebody else called and said it was me. I don’t know him. That was not me.”
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