Steve Sarkisian condemns NFL-to-college returns despite Texas using its own eligibility loophole

While the Texas coach is against players returning from NFL training camps, the Longhorns are already relying on offensive lineman Cole Hutson after a court challenge restored his eligibility Sep 1, 2026 at 5:11 pm ET • 3 min read Texas coach Steve Sarkisian joined the chorus of college football figures blasting players who try to return to school after playing in NFL preseason games. "These players on all of our rosters have been working for nine months for this moment on Saturday, which will then lead into the next five to six months," Sarkisian said this week. "The fact that somebody is going to take somebody off of an NFL roster and tell somebody who has been doing it for nine months to kick rocks, that doesn't sit well with me. That morally is wrong."Multiple players have indicated interest in returning to college football after signing with NFL teams and even playing in preseason games. Notably, tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris are both attempting to follow coach Lane Kiffin to LSU after starting at Ole Miss last season. The brewing battle between the SEC and LSU heats up ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated court hearing John Talty The stunt has drawn enough attention that each of the Power Four leagues has passed rules banning players from returning to college. LSU abstained from the SEC's vote. The rules are facing a court challenge on Thursday, just 48 hours before LSU's season opener against Clemson. Of course, for all the talk, Texas actually was one of the originators of the strategy over the offseason. Offensive lineman Cole Hutson became one of the first major college football players to sue for their fifth year of eligibility after the NCAA passed its five-for-five model, which guarantees every active player five years of on-field eligibility. The NCAA did not grandfather in members of the Class of 2022, such as Hutson, who technically exhausted their eligibility after last season. Hutson played 48 games for the Longhorns over the past four years, including 10 starts at center and left guard in 2025. After going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, Hutson participated in rookie minicamps with both the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, ultimately failing to land a permanent contract. Weeks after the passage of five-for-five -- with Texas facing injury and depth questions along the offensive line -- Hutson filed a lawsuit to gain eligibility. He was granted a temporary restraining order, joining a wave of college athletes who have returned to the field via the courts. Hutson's case does not fall under the specific scenarios banned by the SEC's rule. While players typically receive stipends for participating in minicamps, Hutson never officially signed a contract with an NFL team because one was never offered. Of course, his entire return to action violates the most basic eligibility rules set by the NCAA. The only reason he's able to play is a temporary restraining order, the exact same path Wright and Harris are attempting. Framing the latter as a moral issue and the former as a logical one falls on deaf ears. Members of the Class of 2022 have been put in a difficult position as the rules seem to change around them every few weeks. At one point, every member of the Class of 2022 was granted a blanket waiver to return to school. That was later overturned, once again throwing players into limbo. One coach told CBS Sports that their advisors suggested the best way to approach any eligibility case was for a player to file a lawsuit and just see what happens. It's easy to dismiss the players who were cut from NFL rosters as worthy of scorn. Frankly, it's a bizarre -- and slightly embarrassing -- situation for a player to give up on NFL dreams to return to college. With the rise of NIL, though, there's much more money available to college programs for fringe-level pro talent. And with the pressure facing coaches to win, the idea of "morally" building a roster is off the table. Last week, Ohio State coach Ryan Day offered a much more sober take on players suing to regain their eligibility. If there are advantages, in his telling, teams have to at least explore their options. "Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we gotta do what's right for Ohio State," Day said. "So it's sort of a day-to-day thing right now. Like anything, we're just gonna try to adapt." Maryland coach Mike Locksley acknowledged that they looked into bringing players back from the pros, similar to what Kiffin did. "I know a lot of guys are acting holier than thou, and they're usually guys that don't have room at the bottom of their [roster] to bring in guys," Locksley said.