In the 11th hour, logic prevailed for the LSU Tigers. Despite having two roster spots available for Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to join the team, Lane Kiffin decided against having them play versus Clemson in Week 1. LSU had until midnight on Friday night to come to its big decision. Facing immense pressure from outside sources, LSU deferred on this matter instead of forcing the issue.
Clemson potentially dangling the breach-of-contract clause may have played a bigger part in all this than LSU would ever want to admit. This does not mean Wright and Harris will never suit up for LSU after briefly spending time in the NFL out of Ole Miss. However, it does guarantee that they will not be making their team debuts on Saturday night versus Clemson. We no longer have to worry about this.
It should be noted that until Wright and Harris are officially put onto the LSU roster, they cannot practice with the Tigers. Once again, this is why they were never going to play versus Clemson on Saturday night. They only had their day in court over eligibility concerns this week. Clearly, LSU is taking this one day at a time, but it does not feel like the juice will ever be worth the squeeze here.
Sources: LSU has not added Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to the team’s roster for the Clemson game. They could potentially be added later in the year, as both are enrolled in school. LSU has 103 players on the roster submitted, and that leaves them two spots. pic.twitter.com/aLJ797WKhJ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 5, 2026
Clemson will not have to face former NFL players when taking on LSU
Now that this is settled, we can focus on what actually matters. With Clemson up against it coming in, the Tigers will need a lucky break or two during the game to pull off the upset bid over LSU. College GameDay may be in Baton Rouge, but Clemson enters this contest as America's Team of the Week in some aspects. Nobody outside of Louisiana is rooting for the Bayou Bengals after what we endured.
Frankly, the idea of Wright and Harris even playing in this game was a total distraction for everyone involved. It took away from the marquee game of Labor Day Weekend far more than it ever should have. When toe meets leather, this may all be a moot point. However, the fact that Clemson will not have to go up against former NFL players during a high-profile, non-conference game could be to its benefit.
Going into Baton Rouge may be daunting for some, but this is untrodden territory for Dabo Swinney's program. It could play to their advantage in some aspects. However, the team that is the most steady will likely win on Saturday night. Clemson might have to play a cleaner game than LSU to come out on top. That being said, Clemson has been far less distracted than LSU coming into Week 1. It matters.
Right now, we should be thankful that LSU decided against ruining the sport forever in the late hours of Friday night. While the Bayou Bengals may still do that at a later date, it will be none of Clemson's concern. The can of worms has been tampered with, but it hasn't been fully pried open just yet. No matter what happens on Saturday, we should be grateful that this game may go off without a hitch.
College football may be propped up on amateurism, but it did not become a total farce on Friday.
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