Lost in all the craziness over whether LSU would or would not roster two former NFL players for their game against Clemson, was the news that Lane Kiffin will roster a former Notre Dame defensive lineman who was granted another year of eligibility by way of the courts.
Junior Tuihalamaka's situation is different from that of Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris for one very big reason. Tuihalamaka never went to an NFL training camp. He never went to a rookie minicamp. And he certainly never played in any NFL preseason game. Wright and Harris both did. It's also clear that Wright and Harris considered college football a backup plan, while Tuihalamaka really just wanted one more year of the sport he loved at the level he loves.
In fact, when Tuihalamaka went to court to get his fifth year, it was clear he actually wanted to return to Notre Dame. Unfortunately, as head coach Marcus Freeman explained earlier this week, there just wasn't a way to make that happen.
"For us at Notre Dame, it's just too late [with] the graduate admissions process, and I don't think it would put a person in a good situation this late – school starts on Monday – to have success in the classroom and on the field, so that's been our stance on it," Freeman told reporters when Tuihalamaka was granted his extra year and then entered the Transfer Portal.
Junior Tuihalamaka joins LSU roster while Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris remain off it
"Our admissions have already done their admissions and cycles. That's where the university and the athletic program stands right now."
While Wright and Harris clearly don't really value college sports for anything other than a way to make some cash, Tuihalamaka really just wanted what other members of the 2022 class got when the NCAA changed the eligibility rules to a 5-for-5 standard. That's why the former Notre Dame defender is on the roster while the former NFL players are not.
Wright and Harris were granted a preliminary injunction on Thursday night in a Baton Rouge court - paving the way for the ex-Ole Miss Rebels to officially join the roster after earning a fifth season of eligibility - with the decision now in on Friday.
Neither player was added to LSU's roster because there is still some concern that the SEC could take punitive action against Kiffin and the Tigers if they do roster and then play either Harris or Wright. However, the door isn't completely closed, and the drama isn't quite over.
Both players can be added to the 105-man roster later in the season as long as they are enrolled at LSU, where they are right now.
Junior Tuihalamaka, on the other hand, is ready to roll with the Tigers. His path from Notre Dame to LSU was relatively simple, and while he won't start against Clemson on Saturday, he'll almost certainly get some playing time.
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