Dae’Quan Wright’s football journey just took an unprecedented turn that nobody saw coming. Last week, the former Ole Miss tight end was simply trying to secure an NFL roster spot with the $6.4 billion Cleveland Browns. He even suited up against the Bears and the Bills in pre-season, but is now walking away from the pros to make college football history.

The Browns officially waived Wright on Sunday, opening the door for a deal already in place with LSU. If the 22-year-old clears NFL waivers, he will become the very first player in modern history to sign an NFL contract, participate in an NFL training camp/preseason, and then return to play football on Saturdays. Though Wright never played a regular-season snap in the pros, he got his foot in the door.

Wright went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on May 1. The Eagles released him Aug. 10, and Cleveland claimed him off waivers the following day. A few days later, Wright was warming up in a Browns uniform. However, the Louisiana ruling changed things and prompted Wright to enter the transfer portal while still on the Browns’ 90-man roster.

Lane Kiffin didn’t need much convincing after that. He already knew the tight end having worked with him in 2024 and 2025 at the University of Mississippi. Wright made the move from the Hokies to the Rebels after the 2023 season and improved on every single key statistic.

The tight end, whose time at Virginia Tech saw him feature in 19 games and record 574 yards, 47 receptions and no touchdowns, posted 1,029 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 66 catches across 28 games under Kiffin.

Familiarity may have played a crucial role in Wright’s decision

The tight end has also gone on record to praise his head coach, lauding his ability to make the right calls under pressure.

“He’s a genius, man. It’s crazy! He just knows the right call at the right moment. Anytime he and Coach (Charlie) Weis call a play in a tight situation, we are a thousand percent sure it’s the right one,” said Wright according to Mississippi Scoreboard.

Kiffin may not be the only reason behind the focus on Wright as the Rebels’ former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr also jumped ship to LSU and may have put in a good word.

Even Browns coach Todd Monken didn’t realize how far along the plan already was.

“Man, ain’t that s— crazy?” he said. “I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago. Now I know.”

Considering the lateness of the move. there could be some questions about Wright’s adaptability to his teammates and his understanding with quarterback Sam Leavitt. However, there should not be any issues with the system as the system Wright played in at Ole Miss has essentially followed the coaching staff to Baton Rouge.

The strange part isn’t really Wright returning to college. It’s figuring out whether the NCAA and SEC will let him, and a few others, do it. At this time, the NCAA has declined to provide a comment according to ON3’s College Football Insider, Pete Nakos.

Wright is one of roughly 30 athletes, including 16 football players, involved in a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s eligibility rules. 

A Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order that could give the Class of 2022 athletes another season of eligibility. This particular case matters because it includes players who had already signed NFL contracts. That is how Wright ended up with a path back to college after entering the professional ranks.

What makes Wright’s move so surreal is that modern football has zero precedent for it. While other sports like baseball allow undrafted players to return to campus, signing an active NFL contract always meant burning your college bridge permanently.

Wright isn’t alone in this legal fight, as fellow NFL rookies Anthony Hankerson and Jack Pyburn were also named in the lawsuit. Hankerson and Pyburn are still on the rosters for the Seahawks and the Buccaneers, respectively.

It remains to be seen what happens next for the duo, but by entering the portal while sitting on an active NFL roster, Wright became the test case. The 22-year-old broke completely uncharted ground.

Wright’s return to college football, though has another problem sitting on LSU’s doorstep before he can make his return.

Lane Kiffin’s LSU still has an SEC hurdle to clear

The SEC has rules restricting transfers between conference schools. Commissioner Greg Sankey recently reminded schools that those rules remain in effect despite the ongoing eligibility lawsuits. Several SEC programs believe those restrictions may not survive a court challenge, and LSU appears ready to test that theory.

As Chris Hummer reported, “LSU has been aggressive behind the scenes in its belief it can skirt the SEC’s intraconference transfer rules.”

The conference declined to comment when CBS Sports asked whether those rules still applied under the Louisiana court order. Meanwhile, Wright’s attorney, Ryan Downton, shared his view on the subject.

“We believe the order should allow players to transfer within the conference, but have reached out to the SEC to discuss.”

There’s still a lot to untangle here, as the Colorado ruling was put on hold by a federal appeals court. That doesn’t cancel the separate court orders other players received.

Dae’Quan Wright’s Louisiana case is still standing. If he gets through waivers and the legal stuff, LSU shouldn’t feel like a new world to him. The manner in which he got to LSU will likely keep a spotlight on him going forward.