Count Oregon head coach Dan Lanning among those who don't believe that players taking part in NFL training camps should be allowed to return to college football.
"I think there's a lot of negatives that are involved around this," Lanning said, according to Front Office Sports. "One, once you go to the NFL, to me, you're in the NFL. You don't get the opportunity to come back. Two, most of us have built our rosters and you have roster limits now.
"So if you invited somebody back to your team, that means you're kicking somebody else off your team to match your roster limits. I don't think that's fair to the players that worked all summer, all spring and put themselves in position to be ready to work for a team."
On Wednesday, a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order to a group of 16 former college players, including some currently on NFL rosters and participating in training camp, giving them a fifth year of college eligibility.
The court order allows the players to enter the transfer portal for one week. Other cases are ongoing in various states, including one in Kentucky that made former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos eligible to play this season.
The temporary injunction granted to the 16 players comes after the NCAA instituted a new eligibility rule allowing athletes to play college sports for five seasons, beginning no later than age 19. However, the rule did not apply to those who entered college in 2022, opening the door for the court rulings.
"It used to be once you had an agent or once you went and did the combine … all those things qualified as you were no longer an amateur," Lanning added. "You're a professional now, once you declare for the draft.
"So, to let any of those players come back, fair or unfair to them, it's unfair to the sport."
Among the 16 players is former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who is currently on the Cleveland Browns' roster. He reportedly entered the transfer portal after the temporary injunction was granted, but he was spotted going through warmups before Cleveland's second preseason contest Saturday.
"I mean, ain't this shit crazy?" Browns head coach Todd Monken said, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "I don't even know what to say. I mean, as far as I know, he's had a medical issue that wasn't allowing him to practice. ... And then he was cleared, so we dressed him just in case we had to have him. But when you don't rep, it's hard to put him on the field."
He added, "I wondered why (LSU head coach) Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago. Now, I know. I didn't call him back. Now, I guess I should've."
