Fans of chaos should be rejoicing right now.
A Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order that will allow 16 football players, some of whom are in NFL training camps or participated in rookie minicamps, to return to college football for the 2026 season.
That includes former Rebels Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Wydett Williams, all of whom are either currently on a NFL team’s training camp roster or were recently cut during training camp.
The decision by the Louisiana judge is a result of temporary restraining order granted to numerous athletes in Colorado state court by judge Charlotte Sweeney, which gave all players that started their careers during the 2022-23 school year an additional season of eligibility.
NEWS: A judge in Louisiana has granted a group that includes 16 football player –including several in NFL training camps this summer — a restraining order to allows them to return to college sports this season, per me and @DanMurphyESPN. pic.twitter.com/fUMzBolvbp
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2026
No. 9 Ole Miss’ season-opener against No. 24 Louisville is less than three weeks away. That timeline greatly complicates this situation since most teams have their final rosters set. Revenue sharing and NIL money has already been handed out. Game plans are being made based on the current roster.
Now there’s a chance all of that gets up-ended by a sudden influx of players who were good-to-great in college, but haven’t landed on solid ground in the NFL.
Will Ole Miss bring any of them back?
Maybe. Too early to know for sure, but we’ll probably know soon.
Wright is currently with the Cleveland Browns. Williams is with the Arizona Cardinals. Harris was with the New Orleans Saints until last week when he was cut. He’s also recovering from a foot injury.
Harris would be the most logical of the three to return. He didn’t participate in any practices this offseason and would provide depth (once recovered) at a position that needs as much depth as it can get.
But there’s still the questions of money and if there’s even a roster spot open for him.
What Pete Golding said about players coming back?
Golding was asked in his preseason press conference about the possibility of players from the Class of 2022 coming back. Here’s what he said back on August 6:
“Under the guidelines that have been in place since I took the job, we’ve managed this roster and this team based on those rules. The timing of this isn’t perfect for creating a lot of opportunities for certain people when you’ve already had a roster limit. There aren’t any additional roster exemptions like there were during COVID.
“Yes, there have obviously been conversations with a couple of those guys from the class of ’22 who are in other camps. It has been about their health, their status and what that might look like.
“But it has been more from the standpoint that, if somebody were to get injured during camp and something became available, you would have someone to go to who has actually been in this system.
“Our numbers are what they are right now, and we’re where we need to be. But there have definitely been conversations in case something were to occur and we needed to go in that direction.”
That sounds like a coach who is content with his current roster and is going to roll with it. But Golding also knows a coach’s job security is based on wins and losses. If the Rebels have a chance to bring back a player that could make a significant impact this season, why wouldn’t he?
We haven’t heard of any major injuries during preseason practices, especially along the defensive line. Golding’s comment about talking to players about their health would seem to indicate that Ole Miss has been talking with Harris about a potential return.
There’s also the angle that if Harris, Wright or Williams is at Ole Miss, they’re not at another school like LSU.
There’s also the argument that once you sign a professional contract you should lose your collegiate eligibility. That’s been the standard for decades, but may not be anymore. Or maybe the NCAA is able to win one of the appeals it has filed against the Colorado decision and the one they’ll surely file against the Louisiana one.
Either way, chaos continues its reign over college sports.
