Texas football standout LB Anthony Hill Jr., S Michael Taaffe, and DE Colin Simmons have officially been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list for the 2025 season.
Hill Jr. was the heart and soul of Texas' dominant 2024 defense and looks to have another All-American-level season in 2025. He finished his sophomore year with 113 tackles, 17 TFL, 8 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass deflection, 4 forced fumbles, and 1fumble recovery.
Taaffe exploded onto the scenes as the Longhorns' leader in the secondary and was instrumental in the team's overall defensive takeover last year. He ended the season with 78 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
3⃣ Horns land on the Bednarik Award watch list 🤘@ColinSimmons__ x @MichaelTaaffe4 x @thegoatanthony1 pic.twitter.com/m83DVffrx2
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) August 11, 2025
Not much needs to be said about Colin Simmons and his success as a true freshman in 2024. He was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the SEC in his first season at Texas, and he'll undoubtedly be even better as a sophomore in 2025. He finished his freshman All-American campaign with 48 tackles, 14 TFL, 9 sacks, 1 interception, 2 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles.
All three of these guys were some of the most preeminent players at their respective positions in 2024, and Longhorn Nation can't wait to see them succeed in 2025.