Colin Simmons Boasts About Ethan Burke and Texas Longhorns EDGE Room

"Ethan Burke looks amazing on every aspect of his game," Simmons said during the team's recent media availability.

Burke is entering his fourth season with Texas, and since joining the Longhorns in 2022, he has made an impact on the Forty Acres. In 2024, Burke was one of five Texas defenders with nine or more tackles-for-loss on the season, tallying nine for the year. He also recorded two sacks and a blocked kick last season, with his biggest moment coming against Texas A&M.

With less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Aggies trailing by ten in desperate need of a touchdown, Texas A&M was unable to score because of Burke jumping into the backfield to tackle running back Amari Daniels. His clutch TFL turned the ball over back to the Longhorns and allowed the team to seal the win.

It's not just Burke that Simmons paid compliments to, but the entire Texas EDGE room.

"[It's] not just Ethan Burke, but that's the whole EDGE room," Simmons said. "I feel like we definitely enhanced our game, our play of the game, our details and little things...the IQ of the game in total, just everything."

Simmons himself had a standout freshman season in Texas, finishing 2024 with nine sacks, 14 TFL's and three forced fumbles. The recipient of the 2024 Shawn Alexander National Freshman of the Year award, he returns as one of the nation's top EDGES and another weapon on a stacked Longhorns defense.

Another impactful Longhorn EDGE will likely be Trey Moore, who played last season with Texas after transferring from Texas State. Moore will be a senior this season and, after starting all 16 games last year, recording 5.5 sacks and 10.5 TFLs, should once again be an effective presence for the Longhorns on the defensive line.

Burke, Simmons and Moore, along with the rest of the Texas defense, will have an opportunity to once again showcase their skills in less than two weeks when the Longhorns travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. A challenging first matchup, the Texas EDGE room will certainly have its work cut out for them against Ohio State.