5-Star EDGE Colin Simmons Reveals Commitment Decision

Duncanville (Tex.) five-star EDGE Colin Simmons has made his decision. The prized prospect will take his talents stay home in Texas after committing to the Longhorns on Thursday.

Simmons, a program-changing prospect, selected Steve Sarkisian’s program over LSU and Miami despite a last second visit to Baton Rouge at the end of July.

It was a rollercoaster recruiting process for the No. 1 EDGE in America. He wanted to keep people outside of his circle on their toes and he did just that until the second he made his announcement.

Now, the top player in Texas stays home to represent his state with the chance to compete in the SEC during a new era of Longhorns football.

The Rundown:

LSU Misses Out

The Tigers hosted Simmons for a visit to Baton Rouge at the end of July for a weekend stay after the Bayou Splash recruiting event. It was a monstrous development for this program to get Simmons to stay in Death Valley for three days during the seven-day live period.

Prospects had a seven-day window to visit schools and have face-to-face contact with recruits, and for Simmons, he spent three of those days in Baton Rouge. After the visit, he went home and didn’t take any other visits.

This set the stage for LSU to be in the driver’s seat. Simmons then set a commitment date for August 10th where the Tigers felt positioned to secure the coveted prospect, but once the dust settled, the Longhorns came in hot.

The No. 1 EDGE in the country, Simmons played his cards right the entire time. He took visits, he received the red carpet treatment and soaked in the scenes of being a coveted prospect on the recruiting trail.

After revealing the final three schools, it was ultimately an LSU vs. Texas battle for his services with the hometown team sealing the deal.

Texas Gets It Done

The Longhorns were prepared to do anything in their power to secure a pledge from the top player in the state. Texas has swung and missed on the No. 1 player in-state on several occasions, and as they prepare to transition to the SEC, they weren’t losing Simmons to an SEC foe.

Arch Manning was the gem of the 2023 class, and as they continue winning recruitment battles, Simmons is the latest program-changer.

Simmons totaled 22.5 sacks as a junior against the toughest schedule in Texas. He’s a player who can change the culture in the blink of an eye and the Longhorns were willing to lay it all on the line to make sure he suited up in Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Now, he’s a Longhorn as Simmons shuts down his recruitment process ahead of his senior campaign. A big miss for the Tigers, LSU has time to work its magic on the recruiting trail in order to add depth to its defensive line.