No. 7 Texas had more than a game to worry about early in the fourth quarter against Florida. The Longhorns watched star pass rusher Colin Simmons go down with an apparent leg injury while the teams were locked in a dog fight.
Simmons was treated on the field by the medical staff before being helped off and into the medical tent. He was putting minimal weight on his right leg. Later, he was shown leaving the tent and climbing onto a cart to head for further evaluation.
The injury comes at a brutal time for Texas, because Simmons has been the engine of its pass rush all season. He entered Week 7 leading the nation with 9.5 sacks and pushed that total to 10.5 after adding another against Florida, doing it in just six games.
His rise has been impossible to ignore. Simmons came into the season projected as a first-round pick, and his play has moved him into the conversation to go No. 1 overall. He and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith are on the short list for the title of the best player in college football.
For Texas, the concern is obvious. Simmons leads the team in sacks by a wide margin, with Maraad Watson next at 3.0 entering the game. If he misses any extended time, that would be a major loss for a defense that has been one of the best in college football.
His presence changes the whole complexion of what Texas can do on defense. With Simmons pressuring quarterbacks, the Longhorns can be more aggressive on the outside, trusting that opposing passers won’t have much time to sit back and attack downfield.
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Simmons was taken off the field for further examination, and Texas felt the effect almost right away as Florida moved ahead on a field goal while he was out. For a defense built around his disruption, the bigger concern now is how much time the Longhorns may have to manage without the player who had been driving their pass rush all game. [Read more 🡒]
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