After a breakout freshman year in 2024, Texas football edge rusher Colin Simmons didn’t exactly shy away from the raised expectations during the offseason.
Simmons told media back in the spring that he had switched jersey numbers from No. 11 to No. 1 because “you know, I’m the one.” He confirmed his ultimate personal goal of surpassing 22½ sacks in 2025, which is the single-season record for Texas set back in 1982 by Kiki DeAyala. And he welcomed the extra attention of offenses, which would start to scheme against the 6-foot-2, 245-pound sophomore who had nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss while earning freshman All-American honors as a rotational pass rusher.
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But until the past few games, there was a lot more talk than tackles. Simmons had two solo stops through the first three games of the season. A harmless half-sack against San Jose State accounted for his only tackle for loss.
Simmons, a starter for the first time in his collegiate career, didn’t panic with the lack of production. He kept grinding, kept rushing and kept to the plan. Over the past three games, he has racked up 10 total tackles, 4½ tackles for loss and 3½ sacks, including 2½ in Saturday’s 23-6 win over Oklahoma.
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“Of course, I’m going be frustrated at not meeting the expectations that I put on myself before the season,” Simmons said. “But it goes back to what I’ve been saying: Patience, patience, patience. I just feel like I’ve been being patient and let the game come to me. I feel like the first three games, I wasn’t letting the game come to me. I feel I was just attacking, trying to go get it, instead of just being patient.”
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Patience paying off for Colin Simmons
That patience is certainly paying off for Simmons and the Texas defense, which had its best game of the season against OU. His performance against the Sooners earned him the SEC’s defensive line player of the week award and also prompted the UT media relations staff to let Simmons back in front of microphones and cameras for the first time this season.
Sure, the charismatic Simmons offers as good a soundbite as any player on the team. But without the stats to back up the smack, Simmons’ confidence can come across as counterfeit.
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But there’s nothing fake about Simmons’ impact on the game in recent weeks, said defensive back Malik Muhammad.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Colin Simmons (1) goes to tackle Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) in the second quarter of the Red River Rivalry, as the Sooners play the Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Oct. 11, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
“Coming into the season from him having a tremendous freshman year, I’m sure he was feeling that pressure having to back up all the hype that’s being put on his shoulders,” said Muhammad, who had two of the Longhorns’ interceptions against Oklahoma.
Defensive tackle Hero Kanu, who lines up alongside Simmons, says he is growing into the role as a starting defensive end instead of just an edge rusher that rotates in during passing situations.
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“One thing about playing defense is do your job, and he’s doing his job at a high level right now,” Kanu said. “He’s staying patient and taking advantage of the situations. You have to sometimes let the plays come you, and he’s making those plays.”
Kanu then used the word that defensive coaches and players value above all others.
“I trust him every time,” Kanu said. “I mean, he’s got the edge. I don’t even need to look over there. I know he’s got it, I know he’s being sound, and I know he’s doing his job.”
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Colin Simmons: Starting role comes with more responsibilities
But how has Simmons’ job changed as a full-time starter? For one, offenses now target his perceived weakness as a liability in the running game — a reality that Simmons embraces.
“Do I think teams are going to test me (against the run)?” he said. “Come on now, I’m 6-2 and 245 pounds. Teams are going to test me. And I’m all here for it.”
Simmons has held up well against the run considering his size. His Pro Football Focus run grade of 78.1 ranks second among the team’s edges and just behind Ethan Burke, who has four inches and 25 pounds on Simmons.
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“I feel like my run game is way more improved since last year,” Simmons said. “I feel like I emphasized stopping the run this year, getting off blocks. My run game as a whole, has improved.”
As a starter, Simmons also draws extra attention in pass-protection schemes. Adapting to the chips from a running back or a rolling pocket to the other side may have taken some time, but Simmons has again become a constant presence in the other team’s backfield.
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“He was getting doubled, and all the protection was going to him,” Muhammad said. “But just him being able to get through all of that and just make plays and fight through that adversity, I think Colin’s got another good one coming up this year.”
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Simmons remains an elite pass rusher despite fighting through more double-teams, according to one of his teammates that has to face the edge rusher on a daily basis.
“He’s just kind of like a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to his get-off of the ball,” guard DJ Campbell said. “My mindset with him is get my hands on him before he can even do anything. But it kind of works, it kind of doesn’t. He’s just shifty. It’s kind of like he’s out there playing basketball. He’s real, real dangerous when he’s out there.”
Now, can Simmons remain dangerous despite the extra attention as Texas embarks on a treacherous stretch of SEC play that includes three road trips in the next four games, starting with Saturday’s game at Kentucky?
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“Getting more snaps and starting this year, there’s kind of a red dot on me, especially with the expectations that I put on myself at the beginning of the season,” he said. “I just trust my coaches to put me in the right places to go out there and play the best that I can.”
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