The college football season has officially started, and new LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin has proven to be as controversial as ever. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was released by the Cleveland Browns, has been practicing with the team.
The move has left other SEC programs furious, with leaders in the conference exploring severe punishments, including expulsion or a membership probation. Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed the situation candidly on Monday.
“These players on all of our rosters, not just ours, have been working for 9 months for this moment on Saturday, which then will lead into the next 5 to 6 months,” Sarkisian said.
“I think that’s wrong. That morally is wrong.”
Steve Sarkisian speaks to college programs trying to bring back professional players to their roster. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/fx5yKWXCf3
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) August 31, 2026
“The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody who’s been doing it for 9 months, go kick rocks, that doesn’t sit well with me. I think that’s wrong, that morally is wrong.”
“What are we doing here?”
However, it didn’t take long for fans to point out that offensive lineman Cole Hutson is on the Longhorns roster and is projected to be a starter after participating in minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys
“He has a starting offensive lineman who was in an NFL minicamp! What are we doing here?” one fan posted on X.
“Sark is so out of touch he forgot he has Cole Hutson on his team,” someone else added.
“Sark taking this hard a stance on this issue is kinda weird given that the only difference between the LSU players and Cole Hutson is that Cole wasn’t good enough for an NFL team to offer him a contract,” another fan wrote.
This situation is rapidly becoming untenable. Congress’ failure to pass the Protect College Sports Act ahead of recess has left college football in a precarious spot, and leaders like Kiffin and Sarkisian appear to be interested only in doing what serves them personally, rather than the sport as a whole.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.