Texas LB Colin Simmons on Dominating Oklahoma: 'I Said What I Said'

Texas Longhorns linebacker Colin Simmons backed up his comments about the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) braces for a hit by Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons (11) during the Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns true freshman linebacker Colin Simmons stood on business in Saturday's 34-3 win over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Following Texas' 35-13 win against Mississippi State on Sept. 28, Simmons spoke his mind and previewed the Red River Rivalry by saying that the Longhorns were going to "dominate" the Sooners.

"They got a good squad this year. A lot of people on their team that I know. I feel like we're going to dominate them," Simmons said after the Mississippi State game. "But at the end of the day, we just got to trust in our coaching."

After sitting on those comments over the bye week, Texas did just that in Dallas.

Simmons and the defense were major reasons why. He finished with five total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, both of which were second on the team behind Anthony Hill Jr. Through the first six games of his college career, Simmons has four sacks.

After the game, Texas Longhorns on SI asked Simmons about his comments toward Oklahoma. And while he understandably side-stepped the topic a bit, it's clear there's no regret.

"It was a great game. It was an amazing game. Awesome game," Simmons said. "I mean, I said what I said at the end of the day."

While the offense got off to a slow start, Simmons, Hill Jr. and the Texas defense held things down. The Longhorns remained steady despite Oklahoma getting short fields on the first few drives of the game. But once the offense really got rolling, the Texas defense was able to bring the pain to Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who was sacked five times while finishing 19 of 30 passing for 148 yards and no touchdowns.

Simmons has brought another layer of swagger to the defense despite being a young guy among veterans like Jahdae Barron, Alfred Collins, Andrew Mukuba and more. He entered the game as the team's leader in sacks and had tons of confidence as a result.

So far this season, Simmons has 23 total tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

He'll need to continue to be at his best when Texas hosts the Georgia Bulldogs in Austin on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT.