A freshman Georgia congressman has introduced federal legislation that would make it a crime for college coaches and athletic directors to recruit players still under professional contracts, a direct response to LSU head coach Lane Kiffin's push to stock his roster with recently waived NFL rookies. The bill lands just as LSU prepares to open its season at home against Clemson with a roster reshaped by a Louisiana judge's order.
What the NEAUX PROS Act Would Do
The legislation, formally called the No Elite Athletes Using X-Pro Status to Ensure Prioritizing Recruitment of Student-Athletes Act, would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to strip Title IV federal funding from any university that lets athletes under professional sports contracts compete in college athletics, according to Atlanta News First. It would also create a new federal crime for covered athletics officials — head coaches, assistant coaches, and athletic directors — who knowingly recruit, sign, or certify the eligibility of a professional athlete. The bill was filed by U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller, a Republican who represents Georgia's 14th Congressional District.
Fuller entered the U.S. House after winning an April 7 special election runoff to replace former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to background compiled by Wikipedia. He is a former Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit district attorney and Georgia Air National Guard lieutenant colonel who was endorsed by Donald Trump. Fuller secured 55.9% of the vote against Democrat Shawn Harris in that runoff, a 12-point margin in a district spanning 10 counties in northwest Georgia, according to WABE — a smaller cushion than Greene's 29-point win in 2024. Harris is challenging Fuller again in Georgia's 2026 midterm elections.
The Loophole Kiffin Is Exploiting
The dispute traces back to a June 23 NCAA Division I Cabinet vote that adopted a five-for-five eligibility model excluding high school graduates from the Class of 2022 who had already completed four college seasons. That rule change, meant to streamline eligibility, instead triggered nationwide class-action litigation, according to Steptoe LLP. Players from that class can now claim an extra fifth year of college eligibility after signing professional contracts, a gap Kiffin's recruiting strategy has leaned on.
Kiffin has been pursuing recently waived NFL rookies for LSU's roster, relying on state-level lawsuits and temporary restraining orders that bypass NCAA and Southeastern Conference restrictions. On Thursday, East Baton Rouge Parish District Judge William Jorden issued a preliminary injunction following a nine-hour hearing, clearing the way for LSU to list some former NFL players ahead of the Clemson opener, the state's 11th-ranked Tigers program. Among the players involved are former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who previously played for the Cleveland Browns before being waived by the New Orleans Saints, and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, a former professional player whom LSU has targeted. Former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka has also been part of the eligibility fight.
SEC Sues Its Own Member School
The Southeastern Conference filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on September 3, naming LSU, Kiffin, LSU President Wade Rousse, and Athletics Director Verge Ausberry as defendants, as detailed in Hoodline's earlier report. The filing accuses the school of executing a coordinated campaign to roster former NFL players and claims LSU's actions violate the conference's First Amendment rights to expressive association. It is the second time this summer a major power conference has sued one of its own member universities in federal court, following a similar filing by the Big 12 over a Texas Tech player, per AP News.
Kiffin has defended the approach internally. He said he met with LSU's player leadership committee, which unanimously supported recruiting waived NFL rookies if they could help the team win games, senior players reportedly told him they backed adding released NFL veterans to the roster.
Georgia's Attorney General Wants LSU Punished
Pressure on the SEC to act is not confined to Louisiana. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr sent a formal letter on September 2 urging SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to take all available administrative measures — including potentially suspending or removing LSU from the conference — to protect the University of Georgia and preserve amateur sports integrity, according to 11Alive. Carr also reserved the right to use all legal means necessary to protect Georgia's interests.
Whether federal courts will override the Louisiana state injunctions, whether the SEC will actually impose athletic or financial penalties on LSU, and whether Fuller's bill can gain traction in Congress all remain open questions. For now, LSU is set to kick off its season with a roster reshaped by a courtroom battle that has pulled in a state attorney general, a conference commissioner, and now a freshman member of Congress.
