One Texas Longhorns defender is already being hailed as one of the more important players to watch for the 2025 college football season.
On3 Sports released their list of the Top 25 impact players for 2025, and UT edge rusher Colin Simmons came in at number five. The Dallas native won the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award and played a significant part in the Longhorns’ run to the College Football Playoff semifinal. Simmons, a five-star prospect out of Duncanville High School, quickly demonstrated why he was the best player in Texas’ 2024 recruiting class. The true freshman got to work right away for the Longhorns and became one of the most disruptive edge rushers in the entire SEC.
He finished the year with 47 combined tackles, 14 TFLs, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception, numbers that earned him Freshman All-American status along with the aforementioned Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. Simmons is bound to enter his sophomore campaign on preseason All-SEC list and will head into the new year as a strong contender for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s top defensive end. Simmons wasn’t the only Texas player on On3’s Top 25 list as quarterback Arch Manning checked in at No. 14. Manning’s taking the helm as Texas’ starter has been anticipated since the moment he arrived on campus two years ago and will finally become reality with Quinn Ewers leaving for the NFL Draft.
The heritage quarterback will face a formidable opponent in Week 1 when they go to Ohio State, the current national champion, and will then attempt to guide the Longhorns to their third consecutive CFP appearance.
