Browns TE Dae’Quan Wright has agreement to return to college

Dae'Quan Wright. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Browns TE Dae’Quan Wright has agreement to return to college

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Aug 24, 2026 8:02 AM ET

The Cleveland Browns are waiving rookie tight end Dae’Quan Wright on Sunday, setting the stage for him to become what is believed to be the first player to suit up for an NFL team and then return to college.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, assuming Wright clears waivers, he has an agreement in place to return to college football for the 2026 season and play for Lane Kiffin at LSU.

Dae'Quan Wright has deal in place to return to college football

All of this was made possible when a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order that granted a small group of players an extra year of NCAA eligibility. Several of those players, including Wright, were already in NFL camps at the time of the ruling.

Many of them have entered the NCAA transfer portal with the potential to return to college football.

Wright appears to be the first one that is taking advantage of the opportunity.

History: the Browns are waiving tight end Dae’Quan Wright and, if he clears waivers, he has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln.

Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team, and then… pic.twitter.com/3MLKNFYInY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 23, 2026

Wright spent his college career at Virginia Tech and Ole Miss (where he played for Kiffin in 2025) and was originally signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent.

He was waived and later claimed by the Browns, where he had been in camp.

Wright caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns for Ole Miss during the 2025 season.

The fact that we are looking at players with actual NFL experience returning to the college game is another absurd reminder of the current state of college athletics. The transfer portal and NIL have already blurred the lines between college and pro sports and completely changed the game, and this simply adds another baffling layer to it.

It's not something that anybody seems to be happy about, unless they are a coach who can benefit from it at the college level. Wright is simply the first. There will likely be more in the coming days and weeks.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

More must-reads: