Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns get timely reinforcement on o-line after fall camp opens

Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns get timely reinforcement on o-line after fall camp opens originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning enters 2026 season with one of deepest skill-position groups in college football surrounding him. Offensive line in front of him, though, has been a bigger question mark all offseason.

That question got a little easier to answer this week. Veteran lineman who had been out of program’s plans just days earlier is suddenly back in the room.

Cole Hutson rejoins Texas roster after NCAA agreement

Cole Hutson officially rejoined Texas roster on Friday after reaching agreement with NCAA over his eligibility, adding experienced depth right as fall camp opens in Austin.

The news first surfaced through a recent post from On3’s Pete Nakos, who shared the attorney’s statement confirming Hutson’s return to the program.

“We are pleased to advise that Cole is rejoining the Texas Longhorns on the offensive line,” attorney David Ovard told On3 in a statement. “Cole is thrilled to be playing with his beloved Longhorn teammates.” Hutson’s return closes out a legal saga that began when he filed suit in Travis County in mid-July seeking temporary restraining order to secure a fifth season.

 That state case became unnecessary once a federal class-action ruling out of Colorado intervened. Steve Sarkisian had been closely tracking the situation for weeks, aware of what returning veteran could mean for his depth chart. “Cole is a guy with a lot of experience,” Sarkisian said. “He’s played a lot of football for us. He’s a guy that unfortunately didn’t get drafted, so he puts himself in a bit of a different situation than maybe most guys that got done playing their fourth year in college. We’ll see what that looks like and see where that goes.”

How Hutson’s return fits into loaded Texas roster

Hutson started 23 games across four seasons at right guard, center and left guard between 2022 and 2025, giving Sarkisian a proven option at multiple interior spots. He went undrafted in April and spent time in rookie minicamps with the Browns and Cowboys before the eligibility case reopened his college window. Texas enters the year with real national title expectations, and Arch Manning was recently named to media 2026 preseason All-America second team as the Longhorns led all programs with six total selections.

Hutson’s case is part of a larger wave affecting the 2022 recruiting class, often called the “forgotten class” because they aged out of COVID relief eligibility but missed the cutoff for the NCAA’s new age-based model. Texas isn’t the only national contender dealing with roster shakeups this month, either, with Georgia’s own preseason outlook also drawing fresh betting and roster attention as camps open nationwide.

Texas opens the season against Texas State on September 5 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. For a Longhorns team with championship-level expectations, a proven veteran arriving on the interior line right as camp gets underway counts as a genuine boost.

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