Texas announced Friday that offensive lineman Cole Hutson has officially rejoined the roster after reaching an agreement with the NCAA over his eligibility status.
The move adds experienced depth to the Longhorns’ offensive line just as fall camp opens in Austin. Hutson had been out of the program’s plans until this week.
Hutson started 23 games across four seasons at right guard, center and left guard between 2022 and 2025. He went undrafted in April and spent time in rookie minicamps with the Browns and Cowboys before his eligibility case reopened his college window.
The news first surfaced through On3’s Pete Nakos, who shared the attorney’s statement confirming Hutson’s return.
“We are pleased to advise that Cole is rejoining the Texas Longhorns on the offensive line,” attorney David Ovard told On3 in a statement. “Cole is thrilled to be playing with his beloved Longhorn teammates.”
Legal case clears path for return
Hutson’s return closes out a legal saga that began when he filed suit in Travis County in mid-July seeking a temporary restraining order to secure a fifth season.
That state case became unnecessary once a federal class-action ruling out of Colorado intervened. The ruling affects multiple players from the 2022 recruiting class who aged out of COVID relief eligibility but missed the cutoff for the NCAA’s new age-based model.
Steve Sarkisian had been closely tracking the situation for weeks, aware of what a returning veteran could mean for his depth chart.
“Cole is a guy with a lot of experience,” Sarkisian said. “He’s played a lot of football for us. He’s a guy that unfortunately didn’t get drafted, so he puts himself in a bit of a different situation than maybe most guys that got done playing their fourth year in college.”
Timing boost for championship contender
Texas enters 2026 with real national title expectations. Arch Manning was recently named to the media preseason All-America second team as the Longhorns led all programs with six total selections.
The quarterback has one of the deepest skill-position groups in college football surrounding him. The offensive line had been a bigger question mark all offseason until Hutson’s return.
Hutson gives Sarkisian a proven option at multiple interior spots right as camp gets underway.
Texas isn’t the only national contender dealing with roster shakeups this month. Georgia’s own preseason outlook has drawn fresh attention as camps open nationwide.
The Longhorns open September 5 against Texas State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. For a team with championship-level expectations, a veteran arriving on the interior line right as camp begins counts as a genuine boost.
