Oregon coach Lanning opposes allowing NFL-camp players to return to college football

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said players who participate in NFL training camps should not be allowed to return to college football, arguing it would create roster problems and be unfair to teammates who have prepared all season.

Lanning told Front Office Sports, "I think there's a lot of negatives that are involved around this. 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."

The comments came after a Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order granting a fifth year of eligibility to 16 former college players, some of whom are currently on NFL rosters and in training camp. The order also allows the athletes to enter the transfer portal for a week. Similar legal actions are pending in other states, including Kentucky, where former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos was cleared to play this season.

The court ruling follows a recent NCAA rule that permits athletes to compete for five seasons if they begin college no later than age 19, but the rule does not cover players who entered college in 2022, leaving them eligible for the injunctions.

Lanning added, "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. 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."

One of the 16 athletes, former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who is on the Cleveland Browns roster, entered the transfer portal after the injunction but was later seen participating in Browns' preseason warmups. Browns head coach Todd Monken said the situation was unexpected and noted Wright had cleared a medical issue before being dressed for the game.