LSU HC Lane Kiffin balks at his own suggested guardrails in welcoming NFL transfer

It can be difficult to keep up with every lawsuit for eligibility in college football, particularly following a new rule to allow five years of eligibility. One of those has included a group of NFL players who argued that, had they had the extra year earlier, they wouldn't have gone pro, and now, the LSU Tigers and head coach Lane Kiffin want to take advantage of that. 

With the Cleveland Browns waiving tight end Dae'Quan Wright, he now has an agreement in place to transfer to LSU and play for the Tigers if he isn't claimed off waivers. It's a massively unpopular move among fans of the sport, who widely seem not to want players who wore an NFL uniform to go back to the amateur level. For now, though, the courts are going to allow it.

Wright, incidentally, would be going to play for a coach who has long since advocated for guardrails and rules in a time of chaotic change for the sport. Before the 2025 season, Kiffin said, “I think that unfortunately, the world we’re in, it is not good. And I’m not up here to gripe. I didn’t start with this or anything. It’s not a good system, and it’s not good for college football. Professional sports don’t have this amount of turnover on a roster. Not even close."

Kiffin was, of course, complaining that transfers hurt team chemistry. The implication is you need to transfer and turnover rosters, but it ignored that not everyone did it to the extent he has. Kirby Smart at Georgia and Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, for instance, don't come close to the usage Kiffin has. Still, he has done so to try and win. 

Browns head coach Todd Monken said that Kiffin reached out before the ruling even came down and implied that he was preparing for the possibility before it was even allowed.

"I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago; now I know," Monken said. "I mean, s---, I didn't know. Now I know. I didn't call him back; I guess I should've."

In other words, Kiffin may say he wants rules, but his actions have never followed. What's more important for Kiffin is trying to win, for better or worse. 

Importantly, this has become a major trend for Kiffin. After he left Ole Miss for LSU, Kiffin argued that it was the system that made him choose between LSU and leading Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff. 

"I guess (so), in that I hope that some way for future coaches, they’re not put in that situation," Kiffin said. "In the NFL, you’re never put in that situation because of the calendar and because of the rules of movement within seasons. I do hope for future people, that’s fixed so that you’re not in that same predicament."

Other coaches may go down a similar path

Kiffin makes moves like bringing back someone who played in the NFL because he can and because it gives LSU a competitive advantage. That's regardless of whether it's good for the sport. Kiffin, also, likely won't be the only coach to make such a move.

Other coaches won't want to fall behind, and others will at least look into doing something similar. That includes Ryan Day of Ohio State. 

"If there are teams that have some players out there who are cut from NFL rosters that are gonna be on other teams, we have to at least consider it and look at it," Day said. "Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we gotta do what’s right for Ohio State."

Day says he doesn't like it. Kiffin argues there's too much roster turnover. Still, they're both willing to do it for a competitive edge, and what fans want to see gets lost in the shuffle. Meanwhile, the NCAA has lost all ability to enforce its rules and is at the whim of the courts.