Zxavian Harris Move Exposes NFL-College Eligibility Gap: There’s ‘No Regulation’

Saints head coach Kellen Moore looked at what just happened with Zxavian Harris and landed on a phrase that’s now doing the rounds: There’s simply “no regulation” governing how players move between the NFL and college football anymore.

Harris spent three months on the New Orleans roster as an undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss. He’s now expected to transfer to LSU for the 2026 season, a path that simply didn’t exist for players in his situation until this year. The move is exactly the kind of case that’s forcing coaches, front offices, and conference offices to admit they’re operating without a clear rulebook.

A player can sign an NFL contract, spend a season trying to make a roster, get released, and then walk right back into a college locker room with no structure in place.

Nobody, including the leagues themselves, seems to have a settled answer for what happens to a player like Harris once he leaves an NFL roster and re-enters college eligibility. The Saints know that better than anyone right now.

The Saints-to-LSU Move

Harris signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in May after going unpicked in April’s draft, despite entering the process as a well-regarded interior defensive lineman. He underwent foot surgery in March, never played a preseason snap for the Saints, and was waived on Aug. 8 as the team reshuffled its defensive line.

He’s now expected to land at LSU, reuniting him with head coach Lane Kiffin, who previously coached him at Ole Miss before leaving for Baton Rouge last winter. The reunion carries some irony – Harris was publicly critical of Kiffin’s exit at the time – but the more important detail is how he got back onto a college roster at all.

A Louisiana court ruling opened a path for athletes from the high school class of 2022 to regain a season of eligibility, and that ruling is what put Harris, and several others, back in the transfer portal instead of an NFL practice squad.

Why There is ‘No Regulation’

Harris isn’t an isolated case. Former Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright is also trying to land at LSU, and players like Buccaneers linebacker Jack Pyburn, Seahawks running backs Anthony Hankerson and TJ Harden, and Cardinals safety Wydett Williams are pursuing similar returns to college football after signing as undrafted rookies.

The SEC has already pushed back hard, issuing a statement opposing the trend directly: “College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference. Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition. Allowing that to occur will blur the line between college and professional sports, create significant competitive equity concerns, and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.”

The conference also reaffirmed its support for the Protect College Sports Act, a bill aimed at giving college sports the federal regulation they currently lack. It’s the same gap Moore is pointing at, with no single body, not the NCAA, not the NFL, not Congress yet, has settled rules for what happens when a pro contract and a college roster spot collide.

Harris’ immediate future depends on whether the SEC or the courts ultimately block these transfers, and it’s still unclear whether he’ll re-enter the 2027 draft or simply become a free agent afterward. The NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement has no language addressing the scenario. The same uncertainty hangs over Wright, Pyburn, and the other players attempting the same jump.