Steve Sarkisian announces Texas OL ruled ineligible ahead of Ohio State showdown
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The No. 4-ranked Texas Longhorns are gearing up for their massive Week 2 home showdown against No. 1 Ohio State, and head coach Steve Sarkisian will need all hands on deck if he wants to pull off the massive early-season upset.
One piece that the sixth-year head coach for the Horns was hoping to have was fifth-year offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who returned to Austin after a controversial court ruling earlier in the summer awarded players from the 2022 recruiting class an extra year of eligibility.
Unfortunately for the Horns, Sark told reporters Monday that Hutson is currently ineligible and will not suit up against the Buckeyes on Saturday.
“From Cole’s perspective, technically today he is ineligible, not because of the ruling, because of something different when it comes to the NCAA that he’s working through,” Sark said, per 247Sports’ Chip Brown. “But as I said before, we are respecting the SEC’s decision, and once he can get cleared, and if he gets cleared from the NCAA, then we’ll go back to the SEC.”
Hutson signed with Texas out of high school and was a key contributor on the offensive line for 4 straight seasons. He went undrafted last May and tried out for a couple of NFL rosters but couldn’t secure an official offer, leading to his return to Austin this season.
Sarkisian emphasized that because Hutson never signed an official NFL contract, his status is a bit different from other players returning to the college ranks after spending the preseason with pro teams on official deals.
