Three Texas Longhorns Named To Walter Camp Award Watchlist

More preseason recognitions have arrived for members of the 2025 Texas Longhorns, this time landing on the watchlist for the Walter Camp Award.

The Walter Camp award is presented to the college football player of the year, and the Longhorns are hoping to have their fourth player win the award, following Ricky Williams in 1998 and Colt McCoy in 2008 and 2009.

Arch Manning, Anthony Hill Jr., and Colin Simmons give the Longhorns the most players selected by one team to be named to the Walter Camp Award preseason watchlist.

Stacking Preseason Honors

Hill Jr. enters his junior season ready to show that his performance last season was just the beginning of what he can do on the field. Awards around the country also believe in Hill, naming him to their pre-season watchlist for the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

While being named to the All-American second team last season, he was also tabbed a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Butkus awards after leading the Longhorns in tackles, tackles for loss, and fumbles.

Now he hopes to finish what he started, winning one of college football's most prestigious awards and becoming the first Longhorn to win the Walter Camp Award in over 15 years.

Living Up To Expectations

For Manning, this is the season that not only fans and the media have been eagerly awaiting but also his family and himself. After spending the last two seasons behind Quinn Ewers and patiently learning and waiting his turn to be at the helm in the Forty Acres, he seems poised to lead the Longhorns to waters they haven't seen in over 20 years.

In addition to being named to the Walter Camp watchlist, Manning was also named to the preseason All-SEC Third Team, despite only starting two games for the Longhorns before this season.

Manning hopes to live up to expectations and bring some hardware home for the team and his personal collection.

Building On A Breakout Year

Simmons stepped onto campus at the Forty Acres last fall and dominated the competition like he did in high school, seemingly unfazed by the step up in competition. He led the team in sacks with nine and was the FBS freshman with the most total sacks.

He already earned his first piece of hardware last season, named the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year, and now has been named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist and the Walter Camp watchlist.

Exceeding a stellar freshman season is already hard enough, but if anyone has the ability to do so, it would be Simmons.