Two former NFL players who were attempting to play for LSU will not be added to the the Tigers' final 105-man roster, according to ESPN. The roster will be locked for the 2026 season after LSU added two players on Tuesday, but despite speculation, Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were not the players.
CBS Sports has confirmed Aidan Anding and Gabriel Reliford were the last two players added to the roster, perhaps ending a chaotic storyline that has dominated college football in recent days.
LSU deciding not to add the two ex-NFL players comes in the wake of the SEC's threat to expel LSU from the conference, or at least seek the legal authority to do so after Lane Kiffin and the Tigers attempted to sign multiple players to the team who had previously signed professional contracts and were awarded TROs to return to college sports.
CBS Sports' John Talty reported last week that multiple sources believed the league had the necessary votes to do so should the Tigers refused to de-escalate the situation.
A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction clearing the way for them to play, a move that defies SEC rules. But the SEC's federal suit keeps their long-term eligibility in jeopardy. With two open spots on its roster, LSU decided to fill its roster with players who were not in the crosshairs of the SEC.
Last week, LSU won a court battle in Louisiana after a judge ruled in favor of the Tigers potentially adding two former professional athletes. On the same day, the SEC filed its own lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU in Alabama. The conference is still fighting to enforce its own penalties on teams that roster former professional athletes, which were passed by a 15-0 vote with LSU abstaining — for obvious reasons.
Prior to LSU's season-opening win over Clemson, the Tigers decided not to add Harris and Wright at the deadline. Kiffin had previously said he consulted his team's leadership committee and said every player was on board with the possible addition of the two former college players who signed NFL contracts.
During Saturday's appearance on College GameDay, Kiffin cited "uncertainties" on why neither Harris nor Wright were suiting up for the Tigers against Clemson.
"That wasn't easy, as much as I feel for the players," Kiffin said. "And I believe that you fight for what you believe in. And I believe these kids have an opportunity to play, just like all the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on rosters.
"But at the same time, I'm the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program-- with the uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the roster. We couldn't get exact reasons or... what that would mean if we added them, so with that, I made the decision which is the best interests of the team and the university."
At halftime of LSU's blowout win over Clemson, Kiffin told ESPN with a 31-3 lead, "imagine if we had NFL players" before jogging off the field. In Tuesday's heavy-handed amended complaint from the SEC, the league accused LSU of a lack of institutional control over its athletic department. The SEC even mentioned Kiffin's halftime phrasing in the complaint.
This story will be updated.
