The United Football League is willing to provide a landing spot for players whose eligibility disputes have left them unable to play in either college football or the NFL.
The UFL told Front Office Sports on Wednesday that former Ole Miss players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris would be eligible to participate in its 2027 season, which begins in April.
Both players went undrafted this spring and spent time with NFL teams before trying to return to college and join LSU. Their unusual path ultimately left them without a place to play this fall.
“We’re a pro league, right?” UFL co-owner Mike Repole told Front Office Sports. “We want those college players that can’t make the NFL (to) come to the United Football League.”
Wright, a tight end, was waived by the Cleveland Browns during the preseason after originally signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. Harris, a defensive tackle, was waived by the New Orleans Saints in August.
The pair later became part of a Louisiana lawsuit challenging college eligibility rules and received court protection that could have allowed them to play. LSU nevertheless kept both off its roster amid a separate legal battle with the Southeastern Conference over restrictions on former professional players returning to college.
The NFL then informed its teams that Wright and Harris could not visit, work out for or sign with clubs during the 2026 season because they had returned to a college program after NFL training camps opened.
They can pursue NFL opportunities again in 2027.
Repole previously opened the door to another player caught in eligibility limbo. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was told he could play in the UFL after leaving Texas Tech following a legal battle over his eligibility due to NCAA gambling violations. The NFL denied Sorsby the opportunity for a supplemental draft, leaving him without another option this season.
Sorsby has not signed with the UFL, and it remains unclear whether Wright or Harris will pursue the opportunity.
–Field Level Media
