Overview
- A Baton Rouge judge granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday that temporarily clears more than 40 athletes who began college in 2022 to compete in NCAA and SEC games while litigation continues.
- LSU has quickly targeted several of the cleared players, with Dae'Quan Wright already practicing, Zxavian Harris with the team, and Blake Cotton reported as a recruitment target though no roster addition is finalized.
- Blake Cotton spent the offseason with the Denver Broncos after signing on June 18, was waived/injured on July 31, released from injured reserve on Aug. 2, entered the college transfer portal on Aug. 20, and remains eligible under the injunction.
- The SEC announced plans to appeal the injunction, keeping the eligibility question unsettled and creating urgent timing pressure because LSU must complete roster paperwork by the deadline before its game against Clemson.
- The dispute traces to an NCAA rule change in June that shifted eligibility to a five-year, five-season window and to lawsuits by outgoing seniors who say they were wrongly denied a fifth year after some signed short NFL contracts when their status was unclear.