The Longhorns head coach voiced his opinion about the "morally wrong" trend in his conference.
The Texas Longhorns' football program rostered 41 former players on NFL teams this week.
But don't expect any of them - or any recent college grads - to be returning to college to suit up in burnt orange.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about his opinions related to teams willing to welcome players who were formally on NFL preseason rosters to return to college after being cut, many of them receiving restraining orders or injunctions that include them in the NCAA's new five-year eligibility window that the players just missed out on.
The school most involved in such occurrences is LSU, the Longhorns' SEC foe and Week 14 opponent in Baton Rouge.
"These players on all of our rosters, not just ours, have been working for nine months for this moment on Saturday, which then will lead into the next five to six months,” Sarkisian said, alluding to the current college players that are being pushed aside to make roster room.
"The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody that’s been doing it for nine months to go kick rocks, that doesn't sit well with me. I think that’s wrong. That, morally, is wrong."
Despite LSU head coach Lane Kiffin targeting and luring three players (two of whom played at Ole Miss for him last season) who entered their names in the NFL Draft, went undrafted, and then participated in teams' offseason programs to join the Tigers for this season, the SEC itself issued a statement addressing the matter.
It coincides with Sarkisian's stance.
Kiffin - who has history with Sarkisian dating back to their careers at USC and Alabama - has claimed that he is in "daily conversation" with the conference in hopes of coming to a resolution.
So far, he is winning the dispute because of the Texas judge's decision to overrule the SEC's statement and allow tight end Dae'Quan Wright, defensive lineman Zxavian Harrison and edge-rusher Junior Tuihalamaka to return to college, at least as it currently stands.
Other power conferences such as the Big Ten and Big 12 have made similar announcements about prohibiting NFL-bound players (whether drafted or not) to return to college.
Sarkisian's Longhorns have, however, welcomed back offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who after going undrafted this spring, briefly participated in rookie minicamps with NFL teams, but was cut.
Hutson, who similarly received an injunction from a Texas judge, has not received similar pushback because of the abrupt end to his time as a professional.
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"I feel like my decision should always be made in the best interest of the players that sit in this team room and not for my reputation and how the decisions play in the national media or other fanbases," Kiffin said last week. "I’ve never been that way and that could be wrong."
"I met with our leadership committee and every one of them was emphatic about, 'If they can help us win, bring them,'" Kiffin added. "We understand that we have a team that's practiced together all offseason, but this is how it works at the next level and this is how the real world works."
