College Football Analyst Believes This Texas True Freshman Has Superstar Potential

When Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian secured the commitment of edge rusher Colin Simmons, a consensus five-star recruit and ranked by 247sports as the sixth-best prospect in the nation, was seen as the crown jewel of Texas’ 2024 recruiting class and a future first-round NFL Draft pick . It's easy to see why.

The Duncanville, Texas, product is a game-changer who compiled a school record of 22.5 sacks in his junior season en route to a Texas 6A Division 1 state championship. In his senior season, he contributed 52 total tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks to a Duncanville defense that allowed only 13.4 points per game, propelling the Panthers to a 14-1 record and a second consecutive state championship.

With two games in Burnt Orange under his belt in which the youngster has compiled three solo tackles and a sack against Michigan, Simmons is now receiving praise from national media members including Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick.

Since Simmons stepped onto campus, there has been palpable excitement from the Longhorn faithful about his future. During the summer, On Texas Football’s Gerry Hamilton reported that Simmons stood out in practices and scrimmages.

“Him (Simmons) and Trey Moore brought a different twitch and ability to rush the passer to this program than Texas has had in a long time,” Hamilton said of Simmons.

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Furthering the preseason hype, Simmons was named to ESPN’s Preseason True Freshmen All-American Team by ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill and was the only Longhorn named to the team. Luginbill expressed optimism about Simmons in August, particularly as a pass rusher.

“Simmons is going to need to gain considerable weight and strength to hold up against the run," Luginbill said. "But he is an elite edge rusher with designated pass-rush ability to contribute immediately. He can be just like linebacker Anthony Hill from last year's class, who made his mark as a pass rusher while developing into a full-time player. Simmons' first-step explosiveness is rare.”

Simmons has a unique opportunity in Texas’ defense. Other, more experienced members of the Longhorns’ front seven, such as upperclassman edge rushers Trey Moore and Barryn Sorrell, are more likely to draw chip blocks and double teams, making it easier for Simmons to tee off against one-on-one blocking assignments on passing downs.

Riding high off a statement win in Ann Arbor, Simmons and the Longhorns (2-0) now return home for an I-35 clash with UTSA (1-1) on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

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