Dae’Quan Wright clears waivers, setting up a return to college football with LSU

Dae’Quan Wright is taking his career back to college football. Wright, a former tight end for the Cleveland Browns, cleared NFL waivers on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter as relayed by Yahoo Sports, and is planning to join LSU.

The waiver clearance matters because it indicates the end of the NFL’s process for determining whether a player is immediately claimable by another team. Once a player clears waivers, the path typically opens for him to pursue other opportunities, including a return to school, provided he meets the relevant NCAA rules and administrative requirements.

Wright’s move is being framed as a direct “go back to school” decision. Yahoo Sports’ report indicates he is cleared and now has a clear runway to play for LSU, though the report does not spell out which season he will be eligible for, when he would enroll, or the exact mechanics of his return.

LSU’s football program enters the new season with the usual need to replenish and stabilize position groups through the spring and summer, and the tight end spot is often a key part of an offense’s passing structure. A player with prior professional experience can bring more than route precision. He can also bring a more advanced understanding of tempo, physicality, and run-pass conflict recognition, all of which coaches tend to value when building depth and continuity.

Even with waivers cleared, college football transitions have practical steps. A return to the NCAA level generally involves eligibility verification and paperwork, including how the player’s prior seasons and participation align with NCAA transfer and academic requirements. The ESPN-reported clearance and the stated plan to join LSU do not, by themselves, confirm those downstream items, so LSU’s internal timeline will determine how quickly Wright can get onto the field.

Wright’s story also echoes a broader pattern in American football: players who leave the NFL before settling into a long-term professional role sometimes choose to rebuild their college futures. For programs, that can provide a short-term roster lift and a longer-term development project, but it also requires careful roster management so scholarship and depth chart needs remain balanced.

For LSU fans and the Southeastern Conference, the immediate question is how quickly the staff can integrate Wright into its system. The more important longer-term question is whether his return translates into meaningful, repeatable production once fall camp and the early season games arrive. LSU’s staff will likely be looking for a blend of reliable hands, consistent leverage in blocking assignments, and tight end versatility in its route concepts, all while fitting him into existing personnel.

For now, what is concrete is that Wright has cleared waivers and intends to play at LSU. The finer points of eligibility timing and the role he will play will become clearer as LSU’s camp depth chart takes shape and as the program completes the administrative steps required for a college return.