Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright are ineligible to join any NFL teams this season after they attempted to return to college and play for LSU, the league said in a memo sent to each NFL team on Wednesday.
Harris was a defensive tackle and Wright played tight end for Ole Miss Rebels during its run to a College Football Playoff semifinal last season. Both signed contracts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU Tigers and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility.
Wright's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Front Office Sports that "Dae'Quan is looking at his legal options right now and we will have more to say in the near future."
The NFL Players Association, meanwhile, told Front Office Sports that it was "in touch with each of the players' representatives. "We will explore all options to ensure each players' rights are protected within the Collective Bargaining Agreement."
After the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring pros from heading back to college to play and a Louisiana court put that restriction on hold, LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season.
The NFL's letter noted both Harris and Wright "were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 season."
Harris and Wright were the only players mentioned in the letter. The NFL acknowledged this list didn't include all 2026 draft-eligible players who returned to college and said teams should contact the league's player personnel department with any questions about a player's eligibility.
The letter also noted it is each team's responsibility to verify a player's eligibility. Discipline for eligibility violations can include fines and/or the loss of draft picks.
The NFL had informed its teams in late August that any player who returned to the college ranks would be prohibited from signing with an NFL team this season. It said that any team cut by an NFL team who returned to college this year would be considered a free agent and therefore not subject to a future draft.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.