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The No. 1 Texas Longhorns have seen their defense make great strides early in the season, allowing just 19 points through three games.
While much of that has been due to veterans within the program playing at a high level, a younger player has emerged as a key contributor.
True freshman pass rusher Colin Simmons leads the team with 2 sacks through its first 3 games. He is the only Longhorn with multiple sacks this year and seems to have figured out the college game quickly with 9 tackles as he adjusts to a new scheme.
"I think Colin has steadily improved from where he was in spring ball to where he was in training camp to where he was in Week 1 to where he is now going into Week 4," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told the media during a press conference on Sept. 16. "He has steadily improved his craft. A lot of that comes with knowing what to do and having confidence in what to do."
Colin Simmons' Background
Simmons was a decorated high school player at Duncanville High School in the Dallas area, where he was part of a vaunted defense that won multiple state championships. Those Duncanville teams were loaded with Power Four talent and Simmons was one of their best.
From 2021 through 2023, he won multiple MVP awards and amassed an astounding 44.5 sacks. That includes 22.5 sacks during a junior season that led to him being named Defensive Player of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. He was a consensus top 25 recruit and considered one of the two best pass rushers in the national 2024 class.
Path for Development
Simmons excels as a pass rusher, which many expected of him as he left high school. But the Longhorns envision him as a complete player on the edge.
"Clearly, he's an impactful player when he gets to rush the passer," Sarkisian said. "Our goal for him is to make him the most complete player we can make him—having the ability to play the run and what that looks like so that he can be a real every-down player that will impact the game because he has the skill set to do that."
Sarkisian sees a developmental comparison already on the Texas roster in sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. While the sophomore plays a much different role as the MIKE linebacker (also known as the middle linebacker), he has had an incredibly successful first 17 games for Texas with 89 tackles and 6 sacks. This season, he is the Longhorns' leading tackler with 22 tackles.
"It's kind of reminiscent of where Anthony Hill was maybe a year ago, of what Anthony was doing [with] his ability to rush the passer," Sarkisian explained. "He's grown, and now we see what Anthony is for us. He's getting 11, 12 tackles a game—sideline to sideline and all those things."
What's Ahead at Texas
While still early in his career with plenty of development left, Texas believes Simmons can end his college career as a great player and help continue to set the tone for the foundation Sarkisian has laid since he arrived in Austin, Texas. He has the drive and the talent, and it's already showing on the field.
"Colin's got a bright future, and he's off to a good start," Sarkisian added. "But more importantly, I just like the work ethic and the focus that he has of trying to improve and get better."
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