Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian sparked immediate backlash on Monday after voicing his opposition to college programs cutting players to make room for NFL returnees. Fans were quick to point out what they saw as a contradiction, especially with veteran offensive lineman Cole Hutson rejoining the Longhorns after spending the offseason pursuing NFL opportunities.
Sarkisian's Moral Stance Draws Criticism
During a press conference, Sarkisian expressed his disapproval of teams displacing players who had been with the program for months in favor of those coming straight from NFL rosters.
“The fact that somebody out there is going to take a player off of an NFL roster and tell somebody who’s been doing it for nine months to go kick rocks, that doesn’t sit well with me,” Sarkisian said. “I think that’s wrong. That, morally, is wrong.”
Fans on social media were quick to point out that Hutson, who recently returned to Texas, had spent the spring with NFL teams. One user wrote, “He literally did the exact same thing.” Another posted, “Sark being the nice guy is the biggest lie ever told.” A third fan added, “Coach who has a player off a nfl roster complaining about players off of nfl rosters HYPOCRITE.”
Examining the Cole Hutson Situation
While the criticism was swift, the details of Hutson’s case differ from the NFL returnees Sarkisian was addressing. Hutson was never actually on an NFL roster. The former Texas starter went undrafted and attended rookie minicamps with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns, but he did not sign a contract. After suing the NCAA, Hutson regained a fifth season of eligibility and officially rejoined Texas in August.
Sarkisian had previously distinguished Hutson from the NFL returnee controversy, noting that Hutson had already spent four years within the Longhorns program. This is different from the cases currently driving the debate, which involve former NFL signees attempting to return to college after being released.
The Broader College Football Eligibility Debate
The controversy comes amid a larger fight over eligibility rules. The SEC had attempted to prohibit such returns before a Louisiana court temporarily blocked enforcement, with another hearing scheduled for Thursday. Sarkisian’s specific objection was narrower: he opposed removing a player who had been with a college team for nine months to accommodate a last-minute arrival from an NFL roster.
There is no verified evidence that Texas cut a player to make room for Hutson. The Longhorns are aiming to maximize a championship-caliber roster after going 10-3 last season. They ranked 17th nationally in PFN’s Defense Impact Score with an 85.4 grade and 38th in Offense Impact Score with a 79.7 grade.
While fans were quick to label Sarkisian a hypocrite, the details suggest the two situations are less identical than the “HYPOCRITE” claim implies. In college football’s current eligibility mess, nuance has rarely been the part that goes viral.
