Longtime NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu is ready to exploit the collapse of NCAA authority and play for the LSU Tigers again.
Mathieu took to X on Monday to suggest, presumably jokingly, about returning to LSU for his final two seasons of supposed eligibility. The defensive back made the claim in response to a Texas judge allowing Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby to maintain his eligibility despite violating NCAA gambling rules.
“Can you find me a judge in Louisiana who can see to it that Honey Badger gets to finish his last 2 years of college football?” Mathieu wrote.
Can I return back to college football?
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) June 8, 2026
I only played 2 seasons, should have 2 more eligibility years left….
Can you find me a judge in Louisiana who can see to it that Honey Badger gets to finish his last 2 years of college football?
Who’s going to say no ?????
Mathieu was famously dismissed from the LSU program after two seasons due to a violation of team rules. He eventually entered the NFL Draft and played 12 successful seasons professionally.
Rationally, no one would believe Mathieu maintains any college eligibility. Then again, many would have thought the same of Sorsby, who was found to have placed bets on his own team but will evidently get to play anyway thanks to a judge’s intervention. The decision has shaken the college football world, and even has teams contemplating whether they should play against the Red Raiders this season.
A similar issue arose in college basketball last season, when the Alabama Crimson Tide tried to get eligibility for a player who had spent time in the NBA G League. Those efforts were eventually foiled.
