Jack Pyburn did almost everything an undrafted rookie could reasonably be asked to do during an NFL preseason.
He pressured quarterbacks.
He made tackles.
And most notably, he recorded four sacks in three games, the highest total by any player in the NFL this preseason.
It still wasn’t enough.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived Jack Pyburn on Sunday, August 30, leaving the former LSU and Florida edge rusher facing an unusual decision about what comes next.
Another NFL team could claim him.
He could potentially land on a practice squad.
Or, in a twist that would have seemed almost impossible in college football only a few years ago, Pyburn could attempt to go back to LSU and play another college season.
That third possibility is very real.
But it isn’t guaranteed.
Four Sacks and Still Cut
Pyburn’s preseason production makes Tampa Bay’s decision particularly eye-catching.
He signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft and entered training camp fighting for a roster spot.
His opportunity came quickly.
Against the New York Jets on August 14, Pyburn recorded two sacks.
He finished the preseason the same way he started it, adding another two sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 28.
That gave him four sacks across three preseason appearances.
No NFL player finished with more.
Pyburn also recorded 10 total tackles during the preseason, providing Tampa Bay with exactly the sort of disruptive production an undrafted rookie needs when trying to survive final roster cuts.
The numbers created a compelling argument.
The Buccaneers ultimately went another direction.
Pyburn was waived Sunday as Tampa Bay worked toward its initial 53-man roster.
Now comes the strange part.
LSU Could Be Waiting on the Other Side of Waivers
Under normal circumstances, an NFL rookie being waived would begin looking for another professional opportunity.
Pyburn has one additional option.
He could return to college.
Pyburn is among a group of athletes challenging NCAA eligibility rules after the organization changed its eligibility framework.
The dispute centers partly on athletes from the 2022 recruiting class who completed four college seasons before a newer five-year eligibility framework was introduced.
Pyburn argues that players in his situation should also receive an opportunity to compete for a fifth season.
A Louisiana court granted a temporary restraining order involving Pyburn and other athletes pursuing that argument.
Subsequent legal developments have also restricted the SEC’s ability to prevent certain players with professional experience from returning to conference schools.
Those rulings have opened a door that previously appeared closed.
And LSU is standing behind it.
Before Tampa Bay, Pyburn Was Already a Tiger
A return to Baton Rouge wouldn’t require introducing Pyburn to LSU.
He already knows the program.
Pyburn began his college career at Florida, spending three seasons with the Gators before transferring to LSU for the 2025 season.
He quickly became an important part of the Tigers’ defense.
Pyburn started 11 of 12 games for LSU and finished the year with 52 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, eight quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery.
His value wasn’t measured solely through sacks.
At roughly 6-foot-4 and 250-plus pounds, Pyburn developed a reputation as a physical edge defender who could contribute against the run.
After completing the season, he turned toward the NFL.
He participated in the Senior Bowl but went undrafted before Tampa Bay offered him an opportunity.
For several months, his LSU career appeared finished.
College football’s rapidly changing eligibility landscape has changed that assumption.
One NFL Team Could End the LSU Plan
There is an important obstacle between Pyburn and Baton Rouge:
the NFL waiver wire.
Because Tampa Bay waived him, other NFL teams have an opportunity to claim his contract.
And Pyburn just led the league in preseason sacks.
That makes a claim far from impossible.
Teams searching for inexpensive edge-rushing depth now have recent game film showing Pyburn recording four sacks against NFL preseason competition.
If another organization claims him, his professional career continues and the immediate LSU return effectively disappears.
If nobody claims him, the situation becomes much more interesting.
Reports indicate that Pyburn intends to pursue a return to LSU if he clears waivers.
That would place one of the strangest player-movement stories of the offseason directly in Baton Rouge.
How Can an NFL Player Go Back to College?
That’s the question making Pyburn’s situation bigger than a normal roster transaction.
For decades, the line between college and professional football was straightforward.
Once a player entered the NFL and signed a professional contract, his college career was effectively finished.
Recent court challenges are testing that boundary.
The NCAA adopted a new framework providing athletes a five-year window to compete for five seasons, but the implementation created disputes involving players whose college careers began earlier.
Athletes from the 2022 class have argued that excluding them from the additional eligibility unfairly deprives them of another season of competition and the financial opportunities associated with modern college athletics.
Several players have taken the issue to court.
Pyburn is one of them.
A Louisiana court ruling has temporarily provided him with a potential route back.
The legal situation, however, remains unresolved.
That means saying Pyburn “has returned to LSU” would currently be premature.
The accurate description is that he could return if he clears waivers and the remaining eligibility requirements are satisfied.
The NFL Has Its Own Consequence
Returning to college would also come with a professional cost.
The NFL has said players who leave the league to return to college will not be eligible to play in the NFL during the 2026 season.
Instead, they would have to wait until the following offseason before becoming eligible to return as free agents.
So Pyburn’s decision isn’t simply:
NFL or LSU this week.
Choosing LSU could mean closing the NFL door for the remainder of the current season.
That’s significant for a player who just demonstrated that he can pressure professional quarterbacks.
Four preseason sacks could be enough to convince another franchise to give him a chance.
But another season at LSU could provide considerably more playing time, another year of development and an opportunity to improve his professional value.
Each route offers something different.
And LSU Opens Against Clemson in Days
The timing makes the situation even more unusual.
LSU opens its 2026 season against Clemson on September 5.
That gives the Tigers very little time.
If Pyburn clears waivers and completes a return to LSU, he would be joining the roster only days before one of the biggest games of opening weekend.
His familiarity with the program could help.
He already knows many of the players and understands what it means to play in the SEC.
But LSU itself has changed, including the arrival of head coach Lane Kiffin.
There would still be football terminology, assignments and personnel changes for Pyburn to absorb.
Whether he could immediately play a meaningful role would be another question entirely.
Jack Pyburn’s Next 24 Hours Could Decide Everything
For now, Pyburn occupies a strange space between two levels of football.
He is no longer a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
He isn’t officially an LSU Tiger again.
And his four preseason sacks may actually make the path back to college more complicated because they give other NFL teams a reason to claim him.
That’s what makes Sunday’s roster move worth watching beyond Tampa Bay.
If another team submits a waiver claim, Jack Pyburn’s NFL journey continues.
If he clears, one of college football’s most unusual player returns could move significantly closer to reality.
Either way, his preseason made one thing difficult to argue.
Jack Pyburn didn’t disappear from Tampa Bay’s roster because nobody noticed him.
He led the NFL in sacks.
Now everyone is waiting to see where he plays next.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information concerning Jack Pyburn’s waiver from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his potential return to college football as of August 30, 2026. Pyburn had not officially returned to LSU at the time of publication. His status remains dependent on the NFL waiver process and continuing legal and eligibility developments involving the NCAA and SEC. Court orders and eligibility rules may change as litigation continues.