No. 7 Texas is in a dogfight against unranked Florida, and the Longhorns got bad news early in the fourth quarter.
The Gators were driving down the field when Texas star pass rusher Colin Simmons was injured. Trainers checked on him, and he walked slowly off the field after they helped him up, limping a bit.
“Texas star edge Colin Simmons is being helped off the field gingerly after looking to suffer a leg injury. He’s not putting much weight on the leg that appeared to give out. Arguably the best defensive player in college football,” 247Sports college football writer Chris Hummer wrote on X.
ESPN showed Simmons leaving the game sitting up on a cart with about 8:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Had No Update on Simmons
Texas didn’t beat Florida, losing 27-24. Head coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t have an update on Simmons after the game.
“Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said Colin Simmons has a lower leg injury. He doesn’t know the extent of the injury,” Anwar Richardson wrote on X.
Simmons is in his third season at Texas and has been a star, recording 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks through five games this season. This total does not include his performance in the Florida game, where he also recorded a sack.
Texas has now lost back-to-back games, falling to Oklahoma last week and then to Florida. This is surprising, considering both teams were unranked. The Longhorns are now possibly just one loss away from missing the 12-team college football playoffs for the second straight season.
Simmons Could Be One of the First Players Taken in Next Year’s NFL Draft
Simmons could be one of the top 10 picks in next year’s NFL Draft. Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness had the Arizona Cardinals select him with the No. 6 pick in a recent mock draft published on Tuesday.
“The Cardinals could look to address the quarterback position here, and I’m intrigued to see whether they give Carson Beck an extended run later in the season to evaluate what they have in him. However, the opportunity to land one of the best defensive players in the draft is also tempting. Simmons has earned a 90.6 PFF pass-rush grade through the first five games and looks well on his way to another double-digit sack season,” McGuinness wrote.
Colin Simmons Injury Update: Star Pass Rusher Exits Game vs. Florida