3 Texas freshmen on fire entering the bye week

Colin Simmons, EDGE

No Texas true freshman has been as impressive early this regular season as Simmons. In two of Texas's past three games, I think we've seen Simmons play his best football yet.

He also showed up in a big way with a half dozen quarterback pressures and his first career sack in Texas' convincing double-digit road victory on the road over the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines at the Big House in Week 2.

Since the Michigan game, Simmons has registered four sacks in as many games, along with a dozen quarterback pressures. But he had his best game of his true freshman campaign early this fall last weekend in the SEC opener against Mississippi State.

Simmons registered multiple sacks in a game for the first time in his career last weekend, nabbing two sacks (including one on a key third-down stop for Texas's defense) in the 35-13 win for the Longhorns over Mississippi State.

But it wasn't just the pass rush where Simmons really impacted the game for Texas's defensive front against Mississippi State last weekend. He also registered multiple run stops for the first time in his career.

After the season's first five games, Simmons is the highest-graded true freshmen defensive player in the FBS (per PFF). He's had a pretty valid amount of high confidence for the Longhorns since the win over Mississippi State this past Saturday.

"OU, OU, OU… they gotta good squad this year. A lot of people on that team I know, but I feel like we’re going to dominate them. At the end of the day, we have to trust in our coaching and just get better, each and everyday."

- Colin Simmons on OU

Simmons has proven that he will make it extremely difficult for the Longhorns to keep him off the field in key live-game situations this season for Texas's defensive front. He's been one of the best pass rushers in the SEC, as a true freshman, and is growing really fast into his role off the EDGE as a run defender.