Lane Kiffin knows why LSU football has spotlight after adding TRO players

Baton Rouge - LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and his team aren't the first college program to reap benefits from adding former student-athletes granted an extra year of eligibility due to a recent court ruling. In the past few days, Kiffin and his staff have signed former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka and former Ole Miss tight end Dae Quan Wright.

Wright's presence has garnered the most attention, not because of the LSU vs. Ole Miss rivalry, but because of the new wrinkle in collegiate athletics that the situation brings to the forefront. The spotlight on LSU's actions is a direct result of Kiffin and the LSU head coach's role in the situation. Kiffin has explained that any time someone becomes the first to implement a new strategy, they attract attention.

He understands that others are also trying to replicate his approach, but they are just following in his footsteps. Last week, East Baton Rouge Parish Judge Will Jorden ruled in favor of 16 former college athletes seeking an additional year of eligibility. Both Wright and Tuihalamaka were part of this group that won the injunction.

However, they are not the first former college players to have been granted a fifth year and commit to another school. Kentucky basketball brought in Missouri transfer Mark Mitchell, while former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos is rumored to be joining Texas Tech. There are over 200 former college student-athletes currently waiting for injunctions to be ruled in their favor, hoping to return to college.

The spotlight on LSU will remain, as the outcomes of these cases will determine whether these players can choose to play for their new school or look elsewhere.