Texas Longhorns Star Colin Simmons Is Among Top Graded Returning SEC Edge Rushers

Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons made an undeniable impact during his freshman season, and experts haven’t forgotten.

He has appeared and reappeared in the media this offseason, and his name is tightly intertwined with the projected success of the Longhorns’ defense this upcoming season.

Most recently, Pro Football Focus appointed him to their list of the highest graded edge rushers returning to the SEC in 2025.

Breaking down the ranking

Simmons’ grade reads as 82.6, making him the returner with the fourth-highest rating. Tyreak Sapp of Florida, Joshua Josephs of Tennessee and Keldric Faulk of Auburn are the three players rated higher than him. 

Sapp and Josephs hold the No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, but each of them also has at least three years of college football under their belts. Both Faulk and Simmons are just rising sophomores, meaning that they have obtained positions on this list after just one year of playing collegiately.

But as most people who followed Texas last season probably know, Simmons had no ordinary freshman year. 

He started in all 16 games of the 2024-25 season, earning the 2024 Shawn Alexander National Freshman of the Year award and being named to the 2024 SEC All-Freshman team for his performances. He logged 48 tackles (14 tackles for loss) and nine sacks, proving himself to be a driving force for the Longhorns’ defense. 

Hailing from Duncanville, Texas, Simmons was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 edge rusher in the nation for his class and the No. 5 prospect in the state of Texas. 

His resume has turned several heads throughout the past few years, and it continues to build upon itself. PFF also ranked him as the No. 8 overall player headed into the 2025 season.

The hype surrounding this sophomore Longhorn, by many measures, has been warranted so far, but he will have to continue to prove his worthiness this season. 

Luckily, he has the personnel around him to help this defense thrive. Trey Moore, Ethan Burke and Colton Vasek share the edge rusher position with him, and big names like linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. are anticipated to help this defense reach new heights in 2025. 

With the Ohio State road game in Week 1 on Aug. 30, this defense will be immediately tested. 

The Longhorns playoff “hopes” have started to turn into playoff “expectations,” meaning that there will be little room for error for playmakers like Simmons.