Texas' Colin Simmons Wins Shaun Alexander Freshman Honor

© Aaron E. Martinez/AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's no doubt that the defense of the Texas Longhorns (12-2) has provided some highlight-reel efforts throughout the season. One player who has stood out is freshman EDGE Colin Simmons. For his steady play, Collins was named as The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award winner on Dec. 26. Alexander and the Maxwell Football Club made the announcement.

“We are excited to welcome (Colin) as our seventh Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award winner,” Alexander said, Inside Texas reported. “This was the closest race in the award’s history, and we know that we have picked a great winner.

"Colin is a perfect representative for the Shaun Alexander FPOY award—great talent, great character, great ambassador to the University of Texas, and we believe he is a legend, a future superstar in the NFL.”

Colin Simmons Posts Solid Numbers

Simmons, who comes from Duncanville, Texas, has quite a stat sheet to review as his first season on the Forty Acres continues with Texas playing Arizona State (11-2) in a College Football Playoff matchup in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, 225. So far, Simmons has 39 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception. He's also been a beast when stopping running backs or quarterbacks from gaining ground. Simmons has 13 tackles for loss for the Longhorns.

“I was very excited when I found out," Simmons said. "I was so excited, I couldn’t even let Mr. Alexander get his words out, and I had to hurry up and show my mother who was calling. It’s such an amazing honor, and I appreciate it so much

"I want to thank my teammates and my coaches for helping me get to the position that I’m in right now and allowing me to play to the best of my abilities and grow as a person on and off the field," he said. "This really goes to them, too. I want to say thank you to Shaun Alexander for giving me the opportunity to be a finalist for this award, knowing the other finalists are great players from around the country, and most importantly, I want to give thanks to my family and to God."

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Past winners include Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, Memphis' Kenneth Gainwell, Alabama's Will Anderson Jr., Georgia's Brock Bowers, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Alabama/Ohio State's Caleb Downs.

A formal presentation of this award will take place on March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.