AUSTIN — Just weeks into spring practice, Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner shared which defensive player has been giving him the most trouble, and it’s not surprising at all: Colin Simmons. In his freshman season, Simmons wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, recording 31 solo tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.
Simmons also won the Shaun Alexander Award, the honor given to college football’s most outstanding freshman.
“Colin Simmons, man,” Wisner said. “It’s like you can never get away from Colin, he’s a great player. I respect Colin a lot because he’s one of those players that gets us going, he talks smack and that’s what we need at practice. We need someone to come through, rough us up and then talk smack about it, so he makes us better at the end of the day.”
Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons (11) celebrates an interception during the game against Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Wisner led the Longhorns in rushing in his sophomore season, rushing for 1,064 yards on 226 carries. He took over a running back room that was decimated by injuries, with CJ Baxter suffering a season-ending knee injury in preseason and Christian Clark tearing his achilles before the season.
He rushed for five touchdowns and caught one. Wisner ran for a career-high 186 yards on 33 carries against rival Texas A&M and ran for two touchdowns in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Clemson.
Now, with Baxter and Clark returning to full form from their injuries, the Texas running back room is reloading, and the talent is only improving with having to practice against players like Simmons.
The Longhorns’ first game of the 2025 season will be a rematch of the 2025 Cotton Bowl, when Texas travels to Columbus to play Ohio State, which went on to win the National Championship after beating Texas. In that game, Wisner ran for just 46 yards on 17 carries and Simmons recorded four total tackles.
On Aug. 30, the Longhorns will play the Buckeyes, facing the defending national champion in the early parts of their season for the second year in a row. In 2024, Texas stormed into the Big House and beat the Michigan Wolverines 31-12, and are looking to do the same against Ohio State.
