Colin Simmons has spent his time at Texas building a case that goes well beyond the usual hype around a star defender. On Saturdays, he looks every bit like one of the nation’s most disruptive linebackers. Away from the field, he’s putting in work that says just as much about his character as any sack or forced fumble.
Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List captured both sides of Simmons in the same breath. The Texas third-year linebacker got the usual monster-athlete treatment, but Feldman also spotlighted what Simmons is doing outside football.
"His off-the-field efforts also stand out," Feldman wrote. "The 20-year-old runs a foundation (Clay’s Color Crew - named for his brother Clayton, who has autism) with his mother, Monica McCarley, supporting kids with autism and on the spectrum through color and community."
That foundation work sits right alongside everything else Simmons is carrying. He’s a full-time college student, a Division I player, and a leader for the Texas defense, while also helping support a charitable effort that clearly means a lot to him and his family. Texas has several players with their own causes and family ties outside football, and Simmons fits into that broader picture of Longhorns whose lives stretch far beyond the game.
Of course, the football side of the resume is ridiculous on its own. Feldman called him the "2025 First-Team All-SEC pick, the conference’s sack leader (12) in 2025," and noted that Simmons has 21 sacks in his first two seasons at UT, the most ever by a Longhorn in his first two years on campus.
The physical numbers are eye-opening, too. Feldman listed Simmons at 6-3 and 246 pounds with just nine percent body fat, and cited Texas Director of Player Performance Torre Becton in calling him pound-for-pound the most explosive player on the roster. Becton also pointed to a 335-pound power clean with a bar velocity of 1.4 meters per second, along with a 65 cm, or 25.6-inch, jump on an elite form and countermovement force plate.
Simmons’ speed shows up in the way he closes on the ball, and Feldman emphasized that as well. He has been clocked at 20.22 mph, including a 19.2 mph burst in the fourth quarter of Texas’ Red River Rivalry win over Oklahoma last year.
The production matches the athletic profile. In two seasons with the Longhorns, Simmons has totaled 91 tackles, including 54 solo stops, along with 21 sacks, six forced fumbles, four pass deflections and one interception.
Put it all together, and Simmons looks like exactly what Texas hoped it was getting: a relentless defender with rare burst, real power, and a nonstop motor - and a player whose work off the field makes the picture even stronger.
In Other News...
Sarkisian May Have 2 Freshmen He Can't Keep Off Texas' Offense
Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason making sure Texas had more veteran help where it needed it, bringing in running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown along with offensive linemen Melvin Siani and Laurence Seymore. The idea was straightforward enough: add proven depth, give the Longhorns more immediate options, and make sure the roster had players who could help right away once the season got rolling.
Even with those additions, a couple of freshmen have kept themselves in the conversation during fall camp. Derrek Cooper has caught the staff's attention and could be in line for early work in the backfield, while Jermaine Bishop Jr. looks like the rookie most likely to find a path onto the field through offense or special teams. Sarkisian has said the transfers were brought in to contribute immediately, but Texas may still have young players forcing their way into the mix before long. [Read more 🡒]
Colin Simmons Is Becoming The Face Of Texas Defensive Hopes
Colin Simmons has spent just two seasons turning hype into something sturdier for Texas, piling up production that matches the elite expectations that followed him to Austin. The edge rusher has already posted 21 sacks, 29.5 tackles for loss and seven takeaways, numbers that help explain why he enters the season as a pre-season first-team All-American and a Bronko Nagurski Award watchlist name.
The broader national attention has caught up to him too, with The Athletic placing him No. 10 on its College football Freaks List because of his explosiveness and athleticism. For Texas, the appeal is obvious: Simmons is no longer just a high-end recruit with a lot of upside, but one of the players around whom real defensive hopes can be built. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got Extra Fuel For Its Ohio State Showdown
Rasheem Biles has already found a place in Texas defense, and now the linebacker is headed toward a second-week matchup with a bit more personal edge than most. The Ohio State native came to Austin after three productive seasons at Pitt, where he developed into a steady, versatile defender before transferring to the Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian has praised Biles for the way he can move around the defense and make an impact in different roles, which is exactly why Texas expects him to be part of the plan when the Longhorns line up against the Buckeyes.
The backdrop makes the showdown a little more interesting, because Biles has never hidden how he feels about the school just up the road. He grew up near Ohio State, but the Buckeyes passed on recruiting him out of high school, and that slight still lingers as Texas prepares for one of its biggest early-season tests. For a Longhorns defense looking for any extra edge, Biles brings both experience and a little added motivation into a game that already had plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]