LSU and LSU Head Coach Kiffin Prepare to Add Former NFL Players with CTE Concerns
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A new study examining the brains of deceased former NFL players found that at least 24.5 percent of players in its cohort had CTE, a degenerative brain disease.
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ESPNStudy: At least 1 in 4 NFL players can get CTE A new study published Tuesday by the British Medical Journal showed that at least 25% of NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.
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This comes as LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin appear primed to add a handful of players who seemed to be done at the collegiate level.
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ESPNUs or them: Kiffin defends pursuit of NFL players LSU's Lane Kiffin defended his decision to pursue NFL rookies seeking a fifth year of playing college football, saying he's just one of many coaches trying to do so.
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LSU football gained another commitment from a player who had a short stint with an NFL franchise. This time, it's Zxavian Harris. The defensive lineman played four seasons at Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin, and now he has committed to play for him at LSU, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett on Monday.
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CBS SportsIt's not often that teams can add a standout veteran to their roster less than two weeks before the start of the season, but that's exactly what LSU has done twice in the last week. Sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz that former Ole Miss star defensive lineman Zxavian Harris is expected to land with the Tigers after a brief stint with the New Orleans Saints.
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After a stop in the NFL, former Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright could be heading to LSU thanks to a court order that is creating havoc throughout college sports by allowing Wright and others an unexpected fifth year of eligibility.
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Bleacher ReportTight end Dae'Quan Wright is currently at the center of a storm that is NCAA eligibility after he signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent this offseason but is now joining LSU on the transfer portal after being waived.
CBS SportsHarris is taking advantage of a recent Louisiana ruling, under which athletes from the Class of 2022 have received temporary restraining orders to gain a fifth year of eligibility. LSU has already made , who seems destined for a return to college football after being waived by the Cleveland Browns.
Yahoo SportsHarris is the second player to sign an NFL contract and commit to LSU. Just a few days ago, LSU reached an agreement with former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright.
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Over his four years with the Rebels, Harris increased his effectiveness on defense and eventually broke out in 2025. He started in all 15 games, finishing with 58 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. The six-foot-eight defensive end was a four-star recruit and top-200 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class.
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CBS SportsA four-star recruit in the 2022 signing class, Harris really broke out as a senior last fall. He was a key cog in the Rebels' defense -- wreaking havoc in the middle of the line to the tune of 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. That was enough to get Harris invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
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"College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference," the statement said. "Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition.
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Fox SportsIn a statement released Monday evening, the Southeastern Conference said it firmly opposes professional athletes returning to play college sports.
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At a news conference Monday, Kiffin declined to discuss any specific players, but he did say of the players in the lawsuit: "They’re available to recruit. So, ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them."
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Bleacher ReportWhether Kiffin is actually recruiting NFL players is another question that could open a new can of worms, but he claims not to have reached out to Monken.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken had his own take on the situation after Wright dressed for the team's second preseason game, though he didn't appear in the contest.
5 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 ESPN Sources: Big Ten to bar NFL players from return The Big Ten is set to pass a rule Tuesday that doesn't allow players to return from the NFL and play for one of its schools, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
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02 CBS Sports LSU addresses a big need Throughout the offseason, LSU was viewed as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, mainly because the Tigers boast what might be the most expensive roster in the sport.
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03 Bleacher Report Those figures come from a sample size of 1,712 NFL players who died between 2008 and 2021.
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04 Yahoo Sports This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football adds former New Orleans Saints, Ole Miss defender
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05 Fox Sports Not doing so, Kiffin said, could lead to a situation where "we may end up playing against them."
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Sources (5)
- foxsports
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- bleacherreport
- yahoosports