Less than two weeks ago, offensive lineman Cole Hutson had been attending Texas football practices without actually knowing if he would be able to suit up for the Longhorns this fall. He had also attended NFL rookie mini-camps with both the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.
Then, after he had been granted the TRO allowing him to return to workouts with the Texas Longhorns, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a fifth season of eligibility to college athletes from the recruiting class of 2022.
Since then, with the extra year of eligibility in his back pocket, Hutson has officially returned to the Horns' roster.
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However, while he has played in 43 games and made 18 starting appearances for Texas, does his return guarantee that he will be inserted back into the starting lineup?
Yes, he has the starting experience and understands head coach Steve Sarkisian's coaching style better than a lot of people on the team, having spent the last four years with the Longhorns. Yet, it isn't a guarantee that he will start.
Cole Hutson has an uphill battle to return to Texas's starting lineup
Hutson is a true offensive guard, bouncing between the left and right sides of the O-Line throughout his collegiate career thus far.
However, the right guard position is virtually a lock for Brandon Baker, another returning OG for the Horns, who started in all 13 games at the position last season. Similarly, many assume that former Miami Hurricane and Akron Zip offensive lineman Laurence Seymore has cemented himself as the starting left guard.
O-Line leader and star Trevor Goosby undeniably has the starting left tackle job in his back pocket, and most believe that Melvin Siani will start at right tackle after doing so in all 13 of Wake Forest's games last season before transferring to Texas.
At center, Connor Robertson is the "heir apparent," having already played in 13 games and started in eight at center in 2025.
That's it. Those are all five of the starting roles on the offensive line. Maybe... just maybe... Hutson could go head-to-head with Seymore for the starting left guard role? Or, if something terrible happened, he could find himself in the starting lineup if one of the previously mentioned players were sidelined.
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However, with how things look after the first few days of fall camp, Hutson is falling just short of a permanent starting position once again.
This isn't to say that he shouldn't have come back. There is always the possibility of him starting, or even just earning valuable reps, this season. However, don't necessarily expect him to fly back into the starting lineup just because he has been there before for Texas.
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