Steve Sarkisian likes what he’s seeing from Colin Simmons, and he’s not shy about saying how far the Texas edge rusher has come.
With SEC Media Days set to put the Longhorns in front of the spotlight on Thursday, Sarkisian, quarterback Arch Manning, edge rusher Colin Simmons and left tackle Trevor Goosby are all scheduled to speak as Texas heads toward the 2026 season. And with the Longhorns carrying big expectations, the conversation around Austin naturally turns to the players who can shape whether Texas lives up to them.
Simmons is one of those players, and Sarkisian spent time before his media session breaking down the progression that has turned him into one of the most dangerous defenders in the country.
"I thought Colin evolved last year," Sarkisian said. "I think his freshman year he was a pass rusher; I thought last year he grew up in the run game, and now it's the versatility.
It's not just lining him up into the boundary and defenses now where he is; it's moving him around. It's the creativity of coach Muschamp and our defensive staff and Colin embracing those things."
That growth has come fast. Simmons didn’t need much time to make his presence felt in college football, and through his first two seasons he has piled up 91 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, five pass deflections, and six forced fumbles.
His 2025 season only strengthened the case. As a sophomore, Simmons led the SEC with 12 sacks and earned Second-Team All-American honors from The Sporting News, AFCA, and Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was also named to the 2025 Coaches' All-SEC First Team.
For Sarkisian, though, the next step is about more than splash plays and sack totals. He pointed to the finer points that separate a good pass rusher from a great one.
"It's him understanding blocking schemes and techniques and how people are going to try to utilize him with chips by the running back or sliding protections in his direction," Sarkisian said. "And how do you take advantage of those things, that's what the really good rushers do."
Sarkisian also said Simmons has taken on more inside the program, growing into a bigger voice in the locker room and within the defense.
"And then it's leadership, and it's him growing into one of the leaders of our defense and of our team, and I think we've seen a huge uptick in that for him," Sarkisian said.
Already regarded as one of the top edge rushers in college football, Simmons enters what could be his final season in Austin with another chance to put a stamp on his career in 2026.
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