Last updated at 1:55 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 17
Colin Simmons just went down with what looks to be a lower-body injury during the fourth quarter as the No. 7 Texas Longhorns struggled to keep their heads above water against the unranked Florida Gators.
Immediately, the medical staff swarmed the field to attend to Simmons, who is the Horns' star edge rusher and arguably the best defensive player in the entire country.
Simmons had led the defensive charge through the first three quarters of the game, earning a team-leading eight total tackles (five solo), four tackles for loss, and one sack before he went down with the injury just a few seconds into the final quarter of regulation play.
After starting the game with a 10-0 lead, the Longhorns started to look extremely shaky through the end of the first half and the entirety of the second half. By the time Simmons went down, the game was tied at 17 apiece.
Texas star edge Colin Simmons is being helped off the field gingerly after looking to suffer a leg injury.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) October 17, 2026
He's not putting much weight on the leg that appeared to give out.
Arguably the best defensive player in college football.
Texas defense could be at a total loss vs. Florida without Colin Simmons
Without Simmons on the field, the Gators were able to continue their march down the field and take their first lead of the game with a field goal, going up 20-17 with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter.
While Texas still boasts star defensive players like Rasheem Biles, Lance Jackson, Graceson Littleton, and more, the Horns could undeniably be down for the count without Simmons available to play. As a junior and one of the more familiar players in the Texas program, he has been the absolute leader of this defense.
By the end of Florida's drive, the Longhorns had to provide any kind of update on Simmons' status, but he had not returned to the game by the time the Gators were kicking the field goal.
After yet another turnover on downs for the Texas offense, the Gators were back on the field. The Longhorn defense was without Simmons, who was seen loading onto a golf cart to leave the field, seemingly going for further examination.
The only silver lining I can come up with right now is the fact that sophomore defensive lineman Justus Terry was finally taken off the final injury report ahead of kickoff, providing at least a little relief for defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's squad.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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