AI Summary
5 min readIn the span of a few days, two different MLB players—Pete Alonso and Randy Arozarena—each hit a leadoff home run on the first pitch of a game and a walk-off home run in the same game, a feat that had only happened once since 1953 before this week. That statistical oddity opens a late-August episode of The Ben Maller Show, but the main event is a story that feels like science fiction applied to college football: an NFL player is about to return to college to play.
The Boomerang Player: Dequan Wright’s Path from the Browns to LSU
Cleveland Browns tight end Dequan Wright, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Eagles and was later claimed by Cleveland, is set to become the first player to sign an NFL contract and then return to college football. Wright entered the NCAA transfer portal while still an active NFL player and obtained a temporary restraining order in Louisiana that allows him to pursue another season at LSU under coach Lane Kiffin. Maller frames this as a watershed moment: “This is Patient Zero.” The mechanism is the combination of the transfer portal, NIL money, and a legal environment where restraint-of-trade arguments are likely to succeed. Maller predicts this will become the new normal—agents will tell fringe players to take their NFL shot, and if they get cut or don’t make a roster, they can return to a top college program where a scholarship and NIL d
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:07) **DeQuan Wright's NFL-to-College Move** - Ben introduces the story of Browns tight end DeQuan Wright attempting to return to college football at LSU after being waived.
- 2 (09:05) **Loophole or Mockery? Debating the Wright Case** - Ben frames the central question: is this a cool loophole or a complete mockery of college football?
- 3 (12:08) **Dan Lanning's Objection: Principle or Grandstanding?** - Ben plays a clip of Oregon coach Dan Lanning arguing that once a player goes pro, they should not be allowed to return to college.
- 4 (17:53) **Hurt Feelings: Robert Spillane vs. Tom Brady** - Ben shifts to Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane's lingering irritation over Tom Brady's neutrality before the Super Bowl.
- 5 (23:21) **Maller Riddle of the Day** - Ben poses the riddle: Why did Ole Miss have the FBI check for something because they didn't trust Lane Kiffin?
- 6 (36:23) **WNBA Culture War: Enes Kanter Freedom's Stunt** - Ben covers the incident where Enes Kanter Freedom wore a "woman: adult human female" shirt courtside and was confronted by a WNBA player.
- 7 (39:33) **Listener Call: Historic Baseball Feat & Transfer Portal** - A caller notes two players (Pete Alonso and Randy Arozarena) achieved the rare feat of a leadoff home run and a walk-off home run in consecutive games within the same week.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about Browns TE Dae'Quan Wright being set to return to college with coach Lane Kiffin at LSU, Oregon coach Dan Lanning objecting to NFL rookies boomeranging back to college, Pats LB Robert Spillane saying he's irritated with Tom Brady, Insta-Advice Line, and more!
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