LSU fans better buckle up because the next week could get messy.
Between a courtroom in Baton Rouge and a locker room full of new faces, the Tigers are staring down a stretch that might decide who actually suits up against Clemson.
Coach Lane Kiffin isn’t shying away from any of it either. He’s made it clear his staff is going after players who won court rulings for extra eligibility, no matter how much noise it causes.
“We have made a decision to recruit some kids around the country and through these multiple injunctions around the country, which is not the first time,” Kiffin said. “They’ve been in college sports for a while.”
That’s not exactly surprising from him and makes total sense.
That mindset has already landed LSU a handful of names. Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka jumped in a week ago, picking the Tigers over a long list of other schools chasing him.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pound defensive lineman spent four seasons with the Irish, racking up 61 stops and a pick while adding nine tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries along the way.
LSU keeps adding names to crowded fifth-year class
Tuihalamaka isn’t walking in alone. Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright signed on too after a rocky path through the NFL that included stops with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns before both let him go.
Wright caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns for the Rebels last season. Now he wants a shot at one more college season and LSU is happy to give him one.
Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris followed a similar road.
The former Ole Miss standout started all 15 games last year and helped anchor a defense that made a deep College Football Playoff push.
He finished with 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a blocked kick, an interception and four passes defended before the New Orleans Saints waived him this summer.
There’s also a chance former LSU edge rusher Jack Pyburn comes back home. He’s currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he gets cut on Aug. 30 and clears waivers on Sept. 1 he could rejoin the Tigers for 2026.
Court date that could change everything
None of this matters much though if the courts don’t cooperate.
A Louisiana judge is set to hear a case on Sept. 3 involving 33 student athletes including 16 football players currently protected by temporary restraining orders. Wright and Harris are both part of that group.
The players’ legal team recently widened the target too adding the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey to the lawsuit. Attorney Tony Clayton didn’t hold back when explaining why.
“It’s sitting on the judge’s desk,” Clayton said. “I just think the SEC and their commissioner are flat out wrong on this one and they need to be called out. I just added the SEC and Mr. Greg Sankey to prohibit them from passing any bylaws that would prohibit these kids from being eligible.”
If the judge grants a preliminary injunction the NCAA and SEC couldn’t punish LSU for playing these athletes at least for now.
That’s a win the Tigers desperately want heading into a Clemson opener that’s only days away.
One more name could join mix
There’s also buzz around former Utah cornerback Blake Cotton who’s fighting for eligibility after being waived by the Denver Broncos.
He started eight of 13 games for the Utes last season racking up 30 tackles, two tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. Sources say he’s already in Baton Rouge waiting on his own ruling.
LSU is betting big on the court system working in its favor. If it does the roster gets a serious boost right before the season starts.
If it doesn’t the Tigers could face real consequences down the road including possible penalties if a federal court later overturns any of these rulings.
Either way this isn’t a normal week for LSU football. It’s a legal battle wrapped inside a football season and the outcome could shape how the Tigers look on Sept. 5.
