Texas Longhorns edge rushers Colin Simmons (11) and Ethan Burke (91) celebrate a sack during the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns 'Dynamic Duo' Named Among College Football's Best

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Harrison Reno | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 11:00 AM ET

When you recruit a roster like the one Steve Sarkisian has since becoming the Texas Longhorns head coach, you're bound to have some formidable duos. Yet, there is potential that the "dynamic duo" on this coming season's roster will be among the most disruptive pairs Texas has had within the last decade.

That duo is rising junior linebacker Anthony Hill and rising sophomore edge rusher Colin Simmons. The pair has only played a season together on the 40 Acres and are already garnering national acclaim.

In a recent article from CBS Sports, Hill and Simmons were named as college football's No. 2 "dynamic duo" this coming season.

"No tandem is as fearsome in the pass rush as Anthony Hill Jr. and Colin Simmons, both of whom hauled in All-American honors last season as disruptors on the Texas defensive front," Carter Bahns writes. "Hill is back as college football's most heralded linebacker, fresh off a campaign in which he led the SEC in tackles for loss (17) and forced fumbles (four), and Simmons returns as one of the nation's top young defenders after a nine-sack true freshman campaign."

To the uninitiated, seeing an inside linebacker and edge rusher named as a "fearsome" pass rush duo may be confusing. However, for those who have watched the Longhorns closely, it is clear that the term "inside linebacker" is a simplified label for Hill.

He is not the prototypical off-ball linebacker, who sits in between the secondary and defensive line and is asked to help in pass coverage, and then come downhill in the running game. In addition to those responsibilities, he is asked to rush the passer, sometimes even off the edge, as well.

Hill finished last season as the team leader in tackles and tackles for a loss. He finished only behind Simmons in sacks. He was a first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC player, yet confusingly wasn't named a finalist for the Butkus Award.

Considering that snub last season, that is where the expectations sit for the former five-star prospect as he heads into his junior season.

Then there is the other former five-star prospect in Simmons. He was the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award winner, in addition to being named a first-team Freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman Team.

Simply put, he had quite the true freshman season. He finished with 48 tackles, 14 for a loss, nine sacks, and one interception.

After combining for 17 sacks last season, the bar is set high for what they could do in a second season playing together.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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