Steve Sarkisian Breaks Down the Evolution of Texas Star Colin Simmons

On Thursday, the Texas Longhorns will get their chance in front of the media for SEC Media Days as Steve Sarkisian, along with quarterback Arch Manning, edge rusher Colin Simmons and left tackle Trevor Goosby, talk all things Texas heading into the 2026 season.

For the Longhorns, the obvious hot topic of conversation will be the lofty expectations that Texas carries into this season, being viewed as one of the top contenders not just for an SEC title but also a national championship.

And the revolving conversations are well justified, with the Longhorns having one of the top rosters in the country, and Sarkisian spoke at length about one of the top players on the Texas roster.

Steve Sarkisian Details Colin Simmons' Growth While at Texas

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Colin Simmons (1) reaches for Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) during the second half Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sarkisian took the time to answer questions before his media window on the main stage, with one of the big standouts being his answer on his superstar edge rusher. The Longhorns head coach noted the transition that Simmons has made year after year while at Texas as he has become an elite edge rusher.

"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."

Simmons did not need any time to adjust to the college game, as the edge rusher has been an impact player since the day he set foot on campus. In his first two seasons, Simmons has totaled 91 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, five pass deflections, and six forced fumbles.

As a sophomore in 2025, Simmons led the SEC in sacks with 12 to his name while also being named a Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News, AFCA, and Walter Camp Football Foundation and named to the 2025 Coaches' All-SEC First Team.

Sarkisian also highlighted the little details that Simmons will have to master as he heads into his third season of college football.

"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."

And not only has Simmons shown his impact on the football field, but the now third-year edge rusher has also been impactful within the program, growing as a leader, as Sarkisian noted.

"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.

Simmons is already viewed as one of, if not the best, edge rushers in college football, and now that he heads into what could be his final season in Austin, Simmons will look for an exclamation point in 2026.

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