The SEC banned former professional athletes from returning to college competition, but Texas veteran Cole Hutson appears safely outside the league’s new restrictions.
The SEC just drew a hard line on former professional athletes returning to college sports, but Texas football appears to have avoided losing veteran offensive lineman Cole Hutson in the process.
In a unanimous 16-0 vote, SEC presidents approved a new eligibility policy Tuesday designed to prevent athletes who have crossed into the professional ranks from coming back to compete at conference schools. Commissioner Greg Sankey also received authority to punish programs that violate the policy.
It’s a significant response to college sports' rapidly changing eligibility landscape.
Under the new SEC standard, schools can't roster athletes who failed to properly withdraw after declaring for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft; signed contracts with specified professional leagues or affiliates; or appeared on a professional roster.
That could create immediate problems for LSU and coach Lane Kiffin, who had been pursuing former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright after his stint with the Cleveland Browns, along with former Ole Miss defensive tackle Xzavian Harris, who spent time with the New Orleans Saints.
Texas, however, has a fascinating exception.
Hutson exhausted what had been considered his college eligibility following the 2025 season after appearing in 48 games for the Longhorns. He then participated in rookie minicamps with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
But here's the critical distinction: Hutson wasn't drafted, didn't sign an NFL contract and wasn't placed on an NFL roster.
That seemingly keeps him clear of all three SEC restrictions.
Hutson's return became possible amid a broader legal fight involving athletes from the 2022 class seeking another season of eligibility. A federal court in Colorado granted temporary relief to the players, with Judge Charlotte Sweeney writing that they would suffer “irreparable harm” without an injunction.
Hutson subsequently reached an agreement with the NCAA allowing him another season and returned to Steve Sarkisian's roster.
Apparently, the comeback even caught Arch Manning off guard.
“I was off social media, so I didn't know what was going on really,” Manning said. “And I saw him early morning one day and I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I gave him a big hug. I'm glad to have him back.”
Texas should be glad, too.
The SEC is clearly trying to establish a boundary between college athlete and professional athlete before the eligibility landscape becomes even more chaotic. Hutson walked right up to that boundary without crossing it.
Unless the conference expands its policy, his NFL minicamp appearances alone shouldn't cost him his final season in Austin.
And for a Texas team chasing a national championship, getting a 48-game veteran offensive lineman back could prove far more important than anyone imagined when Hutson initially walked away from college football.
