LSU makes surprise roster decision on former NFL players one day after legal win

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Battifarano, A. (2026, September 5). LSU makes surprise roster decision on former NFL players one day after legal win. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/05/sports/lsu-makes-surprise-roster-decision-on-daequan-wright-zxavian-harris/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-09-05 · by Andrew Battifarano

Quick Summary

Two former NFL players, Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, have been left off the LSU football roster ahead of their season opener against Clemson. Wright, a tight end who spent time with the Eagles and Browns, and Harris, a defensive lineman who played for the Saints, were deemed eligible to play on Thursday night but were not added to the roster by Friday evening. The two players are part of a larger group suing for a fifth year of eligibility in college athletics, which has led to a dispute between LSU and the SEC over recruitment policies. LSU currently has 103 players on its finalized roster.

Written by AI on 2026-09-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Lane Kiffin's LSU team dominated Clemson 51-10 in their season opener, with Sam Leavitt leading the team to a resounding victory. The game was part of a bigger narrative surrounding Kiffin and his decision not to add two former NFL players, Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, to the roster despite winning a court case that would have allowed them to play.

Kiffin's debut was delayed due to a rain delay, but he and his team were ready when they took the field. LSU had 336 yards of offense compared to Clemson's 54, and Kiffin joked at halftime that it was like having pro players on the team.

The win marked a triumphant start to Kiffin's tenure at LSU, which has been surrounded by controversy in recent weeks. The Tigers' victory parade after the game was attended by thousands of fans, with some comparing the scene to Mardi Gras.

Clemson, on the other hand, struggled to find their footing and was criticized for being complacent against a team that was expected to be a strong contender this season. The loss marks the latest in a series of struggles for Clemson's head coach Dabo Swinney, who has faced criticism for his refusal to adapt to changing circumstances in college football.

In other news, Kiffin's alleged halftime speech from the game against Clemson has leaked, in which he told his players that they are "the most-hated team" in college football and encouraged them to lean into their villainous reputation.

Written for “LSU vs Clemson Football Matchup” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 LSU vs Clemson Football Matchup

Sports · 7 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

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This article reads leans right and hedges 12% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

LSU destroys Clemson in Lane Kiffin’s debut: ‘Imagine if we had pro players’ Same event

New York Post

Hedges 2 of 37 claims Outlet record 66/100

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

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sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

12%

2 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

Leans right

of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate

Publisher signals

66/100

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articles that frame the event the way this one does

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New York Post · 15998 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

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All 49 articles by Andrew Battifarano →

Topics

Clemson LSU NFL SEC Tigers

Subjects

LSU ORG · 6× Wright PERSON · 5× SEC ORG · 4× Clemson ORG · 3× Harris PERSON · 3× NFL ORG · 3× Lane Kiffin PERSON · 2× Dae’Quan Wright PERSON · 1× Tigers ORG · 1× Zxavian Harris PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Wright, a tight end who spent time in training camp with the Eagles and Browns, and Wright, a defensive lineman who was with the Saints earlier this summer, are among the 40-plus athletes who have sued to gain a fifth year of eligibility in college athletics.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-05

🔮 LSU had until Friday night to make the decision about whether it would add Wright and Harris for Week 1.

2026-09-05 · New York Post

LSU makes surprise roster decision on former NFL players one day after legal win · assertive framing

Claims (17 extracted, 2 hedged)

Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris scored a big legal win on Thursday night. asserted

Wright → score → night

The two LSU football players — both of whom spent time with NFL teams this summer — were not added to the Tigers’ roster ahead of the season opener against Clemson, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. asserted

Thamel → spend → Clemson

LSU had until Friday night to make the decision about whether it would add Wright and Harris for Week 1. asserted

it → have → Week

Thamel added that the players, who are enrolled in Baton Rouge, could still be added to the team later this season. uncertain

who → add → team

LSU has 103 players on its finalized roster ahead of the game at Tiger Stadium. asserted

LSU → have → Stadium

Wright and Harris, who did not appear in any preseason action, were both deemed eligible to play on Thursday night when East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden issued a preliminary injunction in their favor. asserted

Jorden → appear → favor

who → spend → athletics

Before Jorden’s injunction, the SEC filed a lawsuit in Alabama against LSU, athletic director Verge Ausberry and head coach Lane Kiffin, alleging that they “waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes.” asserted

they → file → athletes

The SEC, in a statement after the injunction, said it disagreed with the ruling. asserted

it → say → ruling

“The SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors unanimously adopted a clear and reasonable standard: member universities should not place former professional athletes on their rosters,” the conference wrote. asserted

conference → adopt → rosters

“The Conference and its member universities have the right to establish, through agreed-upon governance procedures, the rules under which they voluntarily compete and to expect those rules to be followed.” asserted

rules → have → which

Yahoo Sports reported on Friday that Clemson notified that LSU could be breaking “contractual obligations between the two parties” if it allowed the two former NFL players to suit up for the game. uncertain

players → report → game

However, Clemson was still planning to play the game and was not seeking any legal avenues. asserted

Clemson → plan → avenues

The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have joined the SEC in seeking to ban former NFL players from returning to college football. asserted

Ten → join → football

The Big 12 went a step further, saying it would bar any professional athletes from competing in any sport. asserted

it → go → sport

Wright and Harris both played at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, who is coaching his first game with LSU on Saturday. asserted

who → play → Saturday

Whether they play for him again at the college level remains to be seen. asserted

play → play → level

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