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LSU’s Lane Kiffin defends recruiting NFL returnees, blames NCAA eligibility rules
ReLSU’s Lane Kiffin defends recruiting NFL returnees, blames NCAA eligibility rules
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin pushed back Monday against criticism of the Tigers’ decision to recruit players with NFL camp experience, arguing the NCAA created the situation by failing to include the 2022 class in new eligibility guidelines.
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin defended his program’s decision to recruit college football players who recently participated in NFL camps, placing the blame for the unusual situation squarely on the NCAA. Speaking at a press conference Monday, Kiffin said the Tigers are simply taking advantage of court rulings that granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes from the 2022 class.
The controversy centers on players like former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who entered the transfer portal after a temporary restraining order issued by a Louisiana judge opened the door for a return to college football. Several other athletes who attended NFL rookie mini camps or training camps are now exploring similar paths, with some expected to land in Baton Rouge for a final college season.
Kiffin rejected the notion that LSU is doing anything wrong by recruiting these players. “We have made a decision to recruit some kids around the country, and through these multiple injunctions around the country, which, this is not a first time in college sports, a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility, in multiple sports,” he said. “Through them winning their injunction and entry into the portal, they’re available to recruit.”
The coach noted that other programs across the country are pursuing the same athletes. “At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country,” Kiffin said. “So, we made a decision to recruit them, like probably most people are.”
Kiffin acknowledged that the broader question of whether NFL players should return to college is complicated. “In general, should NFL players come back to college? It’s not necessarily what I believe, but that answer would be no,” he said. “I think every circumstance should be looked at differently. This is a very unique circumstance, because I think there’s not a lot of education on how this happened.”
The root of the issue, according to Kiffin, is that the NCAA failed to inform the 2022 class about eligibility changes. “The judge found that these players should have been told and should’ve known that they weren’t going to be eligible for a fifth year,” he said. “They did not know they had a year.”
Multiple courts in different states have ruled that the NCAA was at fault for excluding the 2022 class from new eligibility guidelines introduced in June. Kiffin said the situation could expand significantly. “There are cases right now where there are other athletes in the same cases,” he said. “So, you may end up having hundreds of athletes in this case that are told they have a fifth year.”
While some coaches, including Dan Lanning and Marcus Freeman, have publicly opposed adding players this late in the process, Kiffin said each program must make its own call. He argued that criticism of LSU is misplaced when the NCAA’s own missteps created the current landscape. “You can be mad all you want at the current situation, but don’t forget who started this,” he said. “That would be the NCAA.”
