Thanks to a temporary restraining order that was issued by a judge in Louisiana this week, class of 2022 athletes who have spent time with NFL teams this summer can return to college football in 2026.

Former LSU Tigers pass rusher Jack Pyburn is one of the players who could potentially return to the college game despite appearing in an NFL preseason game earlier this month.

Pyburn, who started his college career at Florida, totaled two sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 52 total tackles at LSU last season.

According to 247Sports, there’s expected to be mutual interest in a reunion between Pyburn and LSU.

You can never have too many pass rushers in the SEC, so it makes sense that LSU would be interested in bringing Pyburn back.

But how much cash would it take to bring him back?

Pyburn, who went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, has been playing well with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this summer, and he had a good showing in the team’s first preseason game (two sacks against the New York Jets).

For now, Pyburn is on the roster bubble. Most predictions don’t have him making Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster to start the season, but an injury or two could change that over the next couple of weeks.

Would Pyburn really turn down a chance to make an NFL 53-man roster to return to LSU for another season (even if he doesn’t make a 53-man roster to start the season, he could be called up from the practice squad later this year)?

I think the only way Pyburn agrees to come back to LSU is if he’s offered a hefty NIL deal. I just don’t see how he can walk away from a chance in the NFL without being promised a big payday.