Colin Simmons

Colin Simmons
No. 1 – Texas Longhorns
PositionDefensive end
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born (2006-01-08) January 8, 2006 (age 20)
Listed height
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight
246 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High schoolDuncanville (Duncanville, Texas)
College
Awards and highlights
Stats at ESPN

Colin Simmons (born January 8, 2006) is an American college football defensive end for the Texas Longhorns.

Early life

Simmons was born on January 8, 2006. He attended Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas. As a senior, he played 10 games and recorded 45 tackles and seven sacks. According to 247Sports, Simmons was rated a 5-star edge, ranking 28th nationally and 4th at his position. Additionally, Simmons was rated a 5-star prospect by Rivals.com and On3 Recruiting. On August 10, 2023, Simmons committed to the University of Texas at Austin.

College career

2024 Season

Before the 2024 season, Simmons was listed on the preseason Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year watchlist. Simmons earned immediate playing time as a freshman. During week five of the 2024 season, Simmons recorded 7 tackles and 2 sacks against Mississippi State. In the first round of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff against Clemson, Simmons logged one interception. In the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Simmons had one sack and five tackles. At the end of the season, Simmons was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, and SEC All-Freshman team.

2025 Season

Before the 2025 season, Simmons was named to the Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, and Lombardi Award watchlists. He was also named to the preseason All-SEC first team and preseason All-American first team. In the Red Rivalry Game against Oklahoma, Simmons recorded five tackles and 2.5 sacks, earning SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week. After Week 7, he was selected to the midseason watch list for the Lombardi Award. In the overtime win against Kentucky in Week 8, Simmons posted a career high three sacks and his first forced fumble of the season, earning him SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second time in a row. In Week 10 against Vanderbilt, Simmons posted a strip-sack and fumble recovery, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and five tackles, earning him SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week, making it the third time he received the honor in four weeks. In Week 13 against Arkansas, posted five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, a career-high four pressures, and a sack-fumble that was returned by a teammate for a touchdown, earning him SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week. At the end of the season, Simmons was named to the All-SEC first team and All-American second team.

2026 Season

Before the 2026 season, Simmons was named to the Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Wuerffel Trophy, Lombardi Award, Walter Camp Award, and Chuck Bednarik Award watchlists. He was also named to the preseason All-SEC first team and preseason All-American first team. After Week 2, Simmons was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors 22 college football players for extraordinary commitment to community service. In Week 4 against No. 14 Tennessee, Simmons recorded 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble, becoming the first FBS player in the last 20 seasons to have 5.0 or more sacks in a game against a ranked team. His 5.5 sacks tied the SEC single-game record and broke the Texas single-game record. For his performance, Simmons swept the major National Player of the Week honors, earning recognition from the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp Award. In Week 7 against Florida, Simmons was injured in the fourth quarter and missed the next game.

College statistics

Year Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
SoloAstCmbTfLSckIntYdsAvgTDPDFRYdsTDFF
2024Texas 1631174814.09.01-2-2020003
2025Texas 1323204215.512.0000021003
2026Texas 61782516.010.5000001002
Career35714511645.531.51-2-2042008

References

  1. ↑ @ColinSimmons__ (January 8, 2024). "18 Years On This Earth. I Owe It To God Himself. Thank you ❤️" (Tweet). Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  2. ↑ "Colin Simmons". Max Preps. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Colin Simmons". 247 Sports. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Colin Simmons". On3. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Colin Simmons". Rivals. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ Smith, Casey (August 10, 2023). "Elite 5-Star EDGE Colin Simmons Commits To Texas". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  7. ↑ Hutchinson, Emma (September 16, 2024). "Steve Sarkisian Details Rise of Texas Freshman Colin Simmons". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Colin Simmons". Texas Longhorns. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Colin Simmons College Gamelog". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Colin Simmons - Football". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  11. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (August 12, 2025). "No. 1/1 Football places four on Lombardi Award watch list". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  12. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (August 11, 2025). "No. 1/1 Football trio tabbed to Chuck Bednarik Award watch list". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Texas 23-6 Oklahoma (Oct 11, 2025) Box Score". ESPN. October 11, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (October 13, 2025). "No. 21/17 Football trio earns SEC weekly honors". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  15. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (October 14, 2025). "No. 21/17 Football lands four on Lombardi Award midseason watch list". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  16. ↑ "SEC Football Players of the Week: Oct. 20". Southeastern Conference. October 20, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  17. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (November 3, 2025). "No. 13/13 Football's Manning, Simmons earn SEC weekly honors". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  18. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (November 24, 2025). "No. 16/16/17 Football's Simmons named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  19. ↑ "2025 All-SEC Football Team presented by Allstate Announced". secsports. December 9, 2025. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  20. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (August 21, 2026). "No. 5/4 Football's Biles, Simmons named to Chuck Bednarik Award watch list". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  21. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (September 15, 2026). "No. 1/1 Football's Simmons selected to Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, named Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  22. ↑ Tafolla, Grace (September 29, 2026). "No. 1/1 Football's Simmons sweeps major National Player of the Week honors". University of Texas Athletics. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  23. ↑ Dimmitt, Zach (October 17, 2026). "Texas Longhorns DE Colin Simmons Carted Off After Injury vs. Florida". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 17, 2026.