Former Browns player expected to be added to major college football roster on Friday to play in Week 1
In a wild turn of events, a player who was recently with the Cleveland Browns is expected to play in the SEC tomorrow, at least as of right now.
The Cleveland Browns find themselves tangled in one of the stranger football stories in recent years.
A former Browns player is expected to suit up for the LSU Tigers this weekend in a Week 1 matchup against the Clemson Tigers, and the path from an NFL 90-man roster back to the college level is as unusual as it sounds.
Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright spent several weeks on Cleveland’s 90-man roster this summer. Wright was with the Browns for roughly a dozen practices, though he never appeared to actually practice with the team due to what seemed to be some kind of injury.
He suited up for the Browns’ first preseason game against the Chicago Bears but did not play. Still, his presence on the roster made him an NFL player for multiple weeks, even without seeing game action.
Court injunction clears path back to college football for a former Browns player
Thanks to a Louisiana court injunction on Thursday evening, Wright is now allowed to join LSU. He is expected to be added to the Tigers’ roster on Friday and could play in Saturday night’s matchup against Clemson.
Wright is not going to be LSU’s top tight end. That role belongs to Trey’Dez Green. But Wright offers proven college production as a secondary receiving option. He posted 635 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2025 with Ole Miss, where he played under current LSU head coach Lane Kiffin.
The situation is a strange one all around. Wright declared for the NFL Draft, went undrafted, signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent, and is now returning to the college level.
The case ties directly to Class of 2022 players who were left out by the NCAA’s 5-for-5 eligibility rule. That rule has created scenarios where players who aren’t quite ready for professional football are attempting to return to the college game after brief NFL stints.
The Browns had no control over this outcome. Cleveland was simply part of the pipeline that Wright passed through before the legal ruling opened the door for his return. There’s nothing the organization could have done differently, and the team was essentially dragged into the story.
Still, it’s a wild development for Cleveland to see a player who was on its roster just weeks ago now set to suit up for LSU on Saturday night.
