Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris is headed to LSU, a move that sends one of Ole Miss' most productive front-line players back into college football after his brief path toward the NFL. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported the transfer on Aug. 24, one day after a Louisiana court order opened the door for Harris and 15 other college football players to return to the college game.
The timing matters because Harris had already gone through the 2026 NFL Draft process and went undrafted, leaving him with a clear path back to school only after the Aug. 19 ruling. He was ranked by as the No. 5 defensive tackle available before the draft, and he still brings immediate production to LSU after four years at Ole Miss, where he started all 15 games in 2025 and finished with 58 tackles and three sacks.
His move also adds another layer to the pull Lane Kiffin has created at LSU. Harris is the sixth player from Ole Miss' 2025 roster to join him there, following TJ Dottery, Princewill Umanmielen, Devin Harper and Winston Watkins after the end of the season. Dae'Quan Wright is also leaving the NFL to join LSU, making the roster shift from Oxford to Louisiana even more pronounced.
Harris's arrival comes with a sharp edge. In February, he said Kiffin had told players not to believe rumors that he would leave Ole Miss, telling them he was not going anywhere and that they should stay focused. Harris later said the team should have believed the rumors, because Kiffin left anyway. That criticism makes his decision to follow Kiffin to LSU stand out all the more.
What remains unclear is whether Harris will be able to play right away. The court order gave him the chance to return, and the transfer gives LSU a proven defensive tackle, but there has been no public indication yet on when he will officially join the program or whether eligibility questions beyond the ruling will delay him. For LSU, the headline is simple: a former Ole Miss starter is on the way, and Harris is back where his next football chapter can begin.
