The Cleveland Browns waived tight end Dae'Quan Wright on Sunday, and if the 22-year-old clears NFL waivers without being claimed, he intends to return to college football and play for LSU this season.
He would be able to do so under the protection of a temporary restraining order that has opened a legal window for certain athletes to reclaim a final year of eligibility after signing pro contracts.
Dae’Quan Wright now is on the verge of becoming the first player to go from an NFL team to returning to play college football. pic.twitter.com/Q0mrO3iOU3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 23, 2026
Dae'Quan Wright's situation
Wright spent the previous two seasons under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, went undrafted in April and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent. The Eagles later waived him, and the Browns claimed him on Aug. 11.
He never appeared in a preseason game for Cleveland, though he did dress and warm up for Saturday's game against the Buffalo Bills.
Across four seasons at Virginia Tech and Ole Miss, Wright put up 113 receptions for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2025, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five scores while earning second-team All-SEC honors.
FAQ section
Q: If Wright returns to college football, will he be the first player to do so after spending time in the NFL?
A: Yes
What this means for college football
Let's start by saying two things: this is a college athletics issue. College basketball, for example, is seeing more cases like this, and most of the time they are even more extreme.
And the other thing to recognize is that the 2022 players are making the argument that they (essentially) are caught in between the COVID "extra years" era and the new age-based model that has been called "5 years to play 5 seasons." So, in theory, these cases shouldn't happen next year. Although nobody will be surprised to see more court cases regarding eligibility pop up next year.
Where Miami comes into play with this
The Canes sent plenty of players to the NFL this past draft and they don't expect any of them back. But it's important to recognize that Wright didn't attend LSU, and it's really his connection to Kiffin that is driving the move. So it comes down to Mario Cristobal's stance on the issue.
Cristobal hasn't directly addressed any situation on this topic, but it would make sense for him not to believe in doing this. Miami, along with other top programs, should reject this type of roster construction because investing in the players that you have in August should be the focus, rather than waiting for guys to be cut during the preseason.
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