The Texas Longhorns are heading into 2026 with the kind of pressure and talent that leave no room for anything less than a College Football Playoff run. The buzz has centered on the newcomers and on quarterback Arch Manning, but one of the biggest reasons Texas can aim that high is already in the building.
That player is edge rusher Colin Simmons, who has become one of the most feared defenders in the country by pairing steady production with a simple shift in approach. His rise hasn’t come from some dramatic reinvention. It came from a mentality change that unlocked even more of what was already there.
Simmons has been a force since arriving in Austin, and the numbers back it up. He led the SEC in sacks last season with 11 solo and two assisted, building on a freshman year in 2024 that produced nine sacks and nearly pushed him into double digits right away.
Even with that kind of pass-rushing production, Texas still wanted more from him. The next step was about becoming a fuller player, one who could do more than just chase quarterbacks - someone who could hold up against the run and stay involved on more snaps.
For Simmons, the answer was as blunt as it gets.
"I don't know, that's a good question," Simmons said, sort of tongue-in-cheek. "I don't know, I just said 'F*** it', go strike s**t.
Yeah. Go make a play.
Go be you. Go be yourself."
That change in mindset may sound almost too simple, but for a player with Simmons’ talent, it made all the difference. The technique was already there.
The explosiveness was already there. What changed was the willingness to let it all go and attack every chance to impact the game.
He’s already a major problem coming off the edge. If this version of Simmons keeps expanding his game, Texas could be looking at the best season of his career - and one that could end up setting records for the sport.
In Other News...
Texas Fans Suddenly Have Another Quarterback Story To Watch
Freshman quarterback Dia Bell has started to make some noise in Texas fall camp, enough to draw attention from outside the program and add another layer to the Longhorns quarterback conversation. With Arch Manning and KJ Lacey currently ahead of him on the depth chart, Bell is still very much in the background for now, but his early showing has made it easier to understand why the staff views him as more than a long-term project.
Steve Sarkisian has made a habit of building quarterbacks from within, and Bell fits neatly into that approach as the next name to follow. Texas still has bigger immediate priorities at the position, but Bells rise gives the Longhorns another intriguing storyline to monitor, especially with the sense that he could eventually push into the starting mix rather than simply wait his turn. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Freshman Jermaine Bishop Is Forcing His Way Into The Offense
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Steve Sarkisian has been especially struck by Bishops composure and competitiveness, two traits that usually travel well once the games start counting. The Longhorns are now weighing a bigger offensive role for him in the near future, and if the recent trend holds, Bishop may not stay in the background for long. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Stoops Could Shape The Texas Identity Sarkisian Really Wants
Mark Stoops arrival in Austin this spring gave Texas another veteran voice with real SEC mileage, and it came at a time when the Longhorns are still defining what they want to look like in their new league home. As a special assistant to the head coach, Stoops brings the kind of experience Texas can lean on as it settles into its third season in the conference, especially with the added challenge of matching weekly toughness against teams built for that style of play.
What makes the hire interesting is how neatly Stoops fits into the identity Steve Sarkisian has been trying to build. Texas wants to be more physical and more committed to the run game, and Stoops has spent years having success in exactly those areas during his Kentucky tenure. The bigger question now is how much of that blueprint actually makes its way into the Longhorns week-to-week personality. [Read more 🡒]