'Cream of the Crop!' Texas True Freshman Edge Rusher Colin Simmons Drawing Praise

The first-year edge rusher is already drawing attention from some of the nation's most notable pundits ahead of the 2024 college football season.

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas White team edge Colin Simmons warms up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-USA Today Sports via American Statesman / Sara Diggins/USA Today Sports via

Late Kick Live host Josh Pate, one of the top voices in the college football world, brought high praise to Texas Longhorns freshman Colin Simmons in a recent episode of his podcast “Late Kick Live with Josh Pate”

In a segment on his show, Pate discussed the top impact freshman for 2024, and the show kicked off with encouraging remarks about the star edge rusher heading into his first year.

“If you come in and you’re in the two-deep at Texas, Georgia, anywhere like that. You are the cream of the crop,” Pate said. “Colin Simmons, we think he fits that description.”

The two-deep refers to the depth chart that head coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski create to denote the starters and highest impact players on the team. 

“A lot of these guys would clearly start at most places in the country,” Pate said about Simmons Georgia’s No. 1 safety recruit KJ Bolden.

But just making the initial depth chart is a massive accomplishment for the 6’3, 234-pound edge rusher. Simmons has to battle for snaps with four upperclassmen on the team that has combined for 38.5 sacks in their career, but his ability to come in and make an impact as a true freshman will force the team to make space for him on the roster.

Aug 11, 2021; Austin, TX, USA; Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski instructs players during football practice at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Mikala Compton-USA TODAY NETWORK / Austin American-Statesman-USA TO

In our recent depth chart projections following spring football, we project Simmons to be in the mix as one of the five edge rushers in rotation, beating out the likes of Colton Vasek and Tausili Akana who have both spent a full year on the 40 Acres.

It’s clear that the college football world is ready to see just how good Simmons can be as a true freshman, and with 44.5 career sacks at the high school level, expect to see a lot of SEC quarterbacks brought down at the expense of an 18-year-old in his first season on the job.