While all eyes are on LSU this week, the bigger story is spreading across the rest of the SEC. Multiple programs are exploring the possibility of adding former NFL players and 2022 recruits to their rosters before the 2026 season kicks off, Pete Nakos reports.
The timeline is tight. SEC rosters must be finalized and submitted to the league office 24 hours before kickoff, and only athletes currently enrolled at a university can be added after that roster is sent in. That's forcing programs into a scramble to figure out who they can add and how fast.
LSU remains the epicenter. Lane Kiffin confirmed Monday that former Cleveland Browns and Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and former Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka have already been practicing with the Tigers as they pursue a fifth season of eligibility through a Louisiana lawsuit against the NCAA and SEC. A preliminary injunction hearing will take place today, and the judge's ruling could determine whether players like Wright make LSU's final roster.
Complicating matters, a South Carolina judge denied several former college players a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Tuesday, a sign that clearing legal hurdles before roster deadlines won't be simple. The SEC, for its part, is holding firm on its new rule barring former NFL players from returning, with penalties ranging from coaching suspensions and fines to lost voting privileges, and sources say expulsion or a boycott of a member school hasn't been ruled out.
"It's an absolute mess," one SEC head coach told On3 earlier this week. "We play football [this weekend]. I don't even have time to think about adding a player."
No comments:
Post a Comment