Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris may be unable to play college football or return to the NFL during the 2026 season, but the two players have another professional football option.
The United Football League has confirmed that Wright and Harris are eligible to play in the UFL for its upcoming 2027 season.
The development could provide both players with an opportunity to continue their football careers while attempting to work their way back to the NFL.
UFL Confirms Wright and Harris Are Eligible
The UFL confirmed that Wright and Harris would be eligible to participate in the league, which is scheduled to begin its next season in 2027.
UFL co-owner Mike Repole emphasized that the UFL is a professional league and can provide opportunities for players who are unable to play college football or immediately land an NFL roster spot.
The league has increasingly positioned itself as a developmental pathway for players hoping to earn another opportunity in the NFL.
Repole noted that more than 50 players currently on NFL rosters have played in the UFL or its predecessor leagues during the past several years.
Why Can’t Wright and Harris Play College Football?
Wright and Harris became part of a complicated NCAA eligibility dispute after joining a Louisiana lawsuit challenging the implementation of the NCAA’s age-based eligibility policy.
The players argued that they should be eligible for another college football season.
Their situation was particularly unusual because both players had already signed NFL contracts and appeared on NFL rosters during the summer.
Wright signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie before being waived following Cleveland’s second preseason game.
Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints before being waived in early August.
LSU Planned to Add Wright and Harris
LSU agreed to bring both players into its football program, creating a major dispute over whether athletes who had already signed professional contracts could return to college football.
The situation contributed to efforts by major college football conferences to prevent players who had joined professional teams from returning to the college level.
Although Wright and Harris received an injunction that could have allowed them to play, LSU ultimately did not put either player on its roster amid litigation involving the SEC and LSU.
As a result, Wright and Harris were left without a team for the 2026 football season.
NFL Won’t Allow Them Back Until 2027
Their path back to the NFL is also currently blocked.
The NFL informed teams that Wright and Harris would not be permitted to join NFL teams during the 2026 season.
Instead, they would have to wait until 2027, when they could be considered undrafted free agents.
Wright’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said his client is examining potential legal options. The NFL Players Association has also indicated that it would explore possible avenues surrounding the situation.
Rosenhaus has additionally maintained that Wright never actually signed an agreement with LSU.
How Much Could Wright and Harris Make in the UFL?
Playing in the UFL would provide Wright and Harris with an opportunity to earn money while continuing to develop professionally.
Under the UFL’s collective bargaining agreement reached in 2025, the minimum salary for a player who participates in the full season increased to $64,000.
That is considerably below NFL compensation.
The NFL minimum rookie salary is $885,000, while NFL practice-squad players can earn more than $13,000 per week depending on their experience and contract status.
Wright and Harris were signed as undrafted NFL rookies, and it is believed that their original NFL contracts included either relatively small signing bonuses or no signing bonuses.
UFL Could Provide a Path Back to the NFL
For Wright and Harris, the biggest benefit of playing in the UFL could be keeping themselves on the field and in front of NFL scouts.
The UFL’s schedule is structured in a way that can allow players to finish the season and potentially transition into NFL offseason programs and training camps.
Repole said the league’s players can arrive at NFL opportunities already conditioned and prepared after playing meaningful professional football.
That pathway has become an important part of the UFL’s identity as players use the spring league to generate game film and potentially earn NFL contracts.
Brendan Sorsby Faced a Similar Situation
Wright and Harris are not the only players to encounter an unusual gap between college and professional eligibility.
Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was also considered eligible by the UFL after challenging the NCAA over his college eligibility.
The NFL declined to conduct a supplemental draft for Sorsby, preventing him from entering the league through that route during the 2026 season.
Sorsby, however, has not signed with a UFL team.
Will Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris Play in the UFL?
That remains uncertain.
The UFL has made it clear that Wright and Harris are eligible, but neither player has committed to playing in the league.
For now, their options appear limited. Returning to college football remains tied up in eligibility and legal disputes, while the NFL has determined that they must wait until 2027 to return to the league.
That makes the UFL one of the clearest opportunities for Wright and Harris to play competitive football, earn a professional salary and potentially strengthen their chances of landing on an NFL roster in 2027.
With the UFL willing to accept them, the next decision belongs to Wright and Harris.