Cole Hutson has rejoined Texas after regaining a fifth year of eligibility, the school announced Friday. He has played 48 games with 23 starts at three positions for the Longhorns. After going undrafted, he participated in minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys but did not land a professional contract.

In July, Hutson filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Travis County, Texas, seeking an additional year of eligibility. This came amid a wave of players seeking another season following the NCAA's new 5-for-5 plan. Last week, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted players like Hutson the right to play another year of college sports.

Coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters he was monitoring Hutson's situation, saying, "Cole's a guy with so much experience, played a lot of football for us." Hutson (6-foot-5, 308 pounds) played center, guard, and tackle. His return adds experience to an offensive line that averaged 137.8 rushing yards per game last season, the fewest of Sarkisian's head coaching career.

Trevor Goosby, one of the best linemen in the country, opted to return for 2026. Texas also added two transfers: Western Kentucky All-American Laurence Seymore and Oregon State's Dylan Sikorski, at left guard, where Hutson started five games last season.