Texas has a new roster decision in front of it, and it comes from a ruling far beyond Austin.
A Colorado judge issued a preliminary injunction that makes all Class of 2022 recruits, who had already used their final year of eligibility in 2025, immediately eligible for the 2026 season under the NCAA’s new “five-for-five” rule. For Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, that opens the door to bringing back members of Texas’ 2022 recruiting class.
The question is whether they should.
Texas has enough talent on its 2026 roster that it may not need to dip back into that class at all. Sarkisian has built the program to a point where the Longhorns can choose to add an experienced piece if they want, but the roster may not have many, if any, obvious holes to patch.
Still, there are some notable names in play. Offensive lineman Cole Hutson, who launched a lawsuit against the NCAA last month in an effort to be included in the 5-by-5 eligibility ruling, could be one option. Edge Ethan Burke and cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau are also part of the conversation after signing undrafted free agent deals with NFL teams and trying to earn a spot on final 53-man rosters.
If Texas does bring someone back, the upside is easy to see. A return from one of those players would give the Longhorns more depth and more experience, and by 2026 they would be entering their fifth season of college football.
But there’s a real cost to that, too. Texas already has plenty of bodies, and adding more veterans would naturally squeeze snaps in games and cut into practice reps for younger players.
That’s where the wrinkle comes in. The Longhorns would gain proven talent, but freshmen and sophomores trying to carve out roles could lose valuable opportunities. Fewer reps mean less room for development, and that’s the tradeoff Texas would have to weigh.
As with so many major college football rulings, more details could still surface in the days ahead. For now, Texas has a choice: bring back some familiar names from the 2022 class, or stick with the roster Sarkisian has already built.
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