College football is a mess. The goal for college football players used to be to make it to the NFL. Now, there are players who made it to the NFL and are going back to college because legal battles are making it legal.
Among the players who were eligible to go back to college after being on an NFL roster was cornerback Collin Wright, who was just named one of the members of the Houston Texans’initial 53-man roster. Luckily for the Texans, Wright did not consider going back to college, although he said he knows of other players who did.
"I didn't really have any of those thoughts or concerns,” Wright said. “I did have a couple of friends that were considering it and I think they might be there now
"For me, that's not anything I wanted to do. I think
I've always wanted to be a pro and I want to just keep striving to try to be the best pro I can. I think my time in college expired and I was just ready to move on."
Former Stanford UDFA DB Collin Wright on how he found out the made the Texans 53 man roster:
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) September 2, 2026
“I found out on the Texans Instagram. I didn’t really hear anything all, I’ve heard on days like this ‘no news is good news.’ I found out on social media like everybody else did. It was… pic.twitter.com/88qEioWKr2
Wright spent all four of his years in college at Stanford, where he appeared in 36 games and college 144 total tackles, including 10 sacks for loss and a sack. He also had five interceptions, three of which were in 2024. In his final year in college, Wright recorded his first pick-six.
The decision for Wright to stay professional instead of trying to go back to college has paid off for him. Houston has one of the best defenses in the NFL and now, Wright will be able to learn from the Texans' defensive coaching staff and players throughout the season, including All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The Texans open the regular season at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans rookie CB Collin Wright on staying in NFL: 'My time in college expired'
