The NCAA, SEC and LSU's college eligibility fight continues. As LSU is a mere five days away from kicking off at home against Clemson on Saturday, all eyes turn to the court battle looming between Lane Kiffin and the former NFL players he signed last week.
LSU added the likes of former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright and former New Orleans Saints defensive end Zxavian Harris last week. Despite the SEC pushing back and passing a rule barring former professional athletes from returning to college, the fight is far from over. Lawyers representing the athletes in the Louisiana state lawsuit that made Harris, Wright and several other athletes eligible for a fifth season have added the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey as defendants to the suit.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for Thursday, which is reportedly when the SEC plans to continue fighting against the two players suiting up for the Tigers.
One player who was deemed eligible to play in the lawsuit was former South Carolina safety DQ Smith. Smith, who played the last four seasons for the Gamecocks under head coach Shane Beamer, entered the transfer portal on Aug. 23.
But over a week later as teams are preparing to kick off their 2026 seasons, he is still not on a roster. There was speculation that Smith, who had 228 total tackles with five interceptions at South Carolina, would return to Columbia. But as Smith still remains in the portal, that doesn't appear to be happening.
"For me, it’s always about doing what’s best for the football team," Beamer said of adding Johnson via Gamecock Central. "I’m not a big fan of adding players this late, and initially was not planning on doing anything, but saw an opportunity, as you guys have heard from me.
"If you’ve asked me, which I know you’ve had, like positions that I’m concerned about, I’ve always said to you guys, I want more depth at every position, but I’ve also said that I’m a little bit concerned about the depth at the corners, because we’re down some guys. I mean, Brandon Cisse left early for the NFL draft, and you know, numbers weren’t quite where we wanted them to be."
Gamecock Central reported that a return to the Gamecocks is unlikely. Not to mention Beamer signed former App State defensive back Ethan Johnson, who was also given eligibility from the lawsuit, last week.
It appears that Smith's NFL career did not pan out this spring, either. Although he was invited to several rookie camps this past spring, he didn't make a roster. He last tried out for the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month, according to ESPN. But since he did not make the team, he likely would not be included in the SEC and other conference's ban barring former pro players from returning to college.
As the college football season progresses, it'll be interesting to see if Smith remains left off a roster. Given that he has plenty of experience, there's a chance a team could find a roster spot for him if it needs some depth in the secondary.
For now, Smith will likely remain in the portal until a team gauges interest.
Add us as a preferred source on Google