Texas Football: Breaking down 4 must-get recruits in the 2024 class
Colin Simmons, EDGE
There are a handful of blue-chip edge rusher targets in the 2024 class for the Longhorns that are getting a lot of attention early this offseason. But I would have a hard time finding a more important priority edge rusher recruit in the 2024 class for the Longhorns than the elite five-star Duncanville product Colin Simmons.
We’ve often discussed on this site in the last few months how much Texas’ staff is making it known that they want Simmons in the 2024 class. That is very evident by the fact that even Sark himself is in frequent communication with Simmons.
The commitment from the coaching staff to make Simmons feel like he is a top priority for them has made quite the impression so far. Simmons has mentioned that he can “see [himself] in Austin”, which is a great sign for Texas early in the recruiting process for the elite edge rusher.
Another factor that has helped Texas in this recruitment of late was the announcement of the early move to the SEC in 2024. Simmons has made it pretty clear that he wants to play against the top competition, which means that he would likely land in the SEC once his recruitment is finished.
Texas needs to get Simmons to campus as much as possible this year. The last time that Sark and the Longhorns staff got Simmons to campus for a visit was last fall, which came during the game weekend in November against the TCU Horned Frogs at DKR.
A potential target date to watch for Simmons’ first visit to Austin in 2023 could be the next Junior Day that Texas is hosting in late March. It sounds like a return visit to Austin in the midst of spring ball is definitely in the cards for Simmons.
It just depends on whether Jeff Choate and Jeff Banks (the coaches spearheading this recruitment for Texas) want a more personalized feel on the visit or if they want the vibe of a large crowd and a lot of energy on Simmons’ next trip to campus. If they want a more personalized feel, mid-March could make sense for the next unofficial visit date for Simmons to see Texas.
The Georgia Bulldogs, LSU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma are just a few of the other schools pushing for return visits for Simmons heading into the spring. Georgia and LSU are going to be two of the top competitors among the out-of-state threats to land Simmons.