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Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff Writer
A year from now, Texas and LSU will be conference rivals in the newly expanded 16-team SEC. Both schools have been engaged in a battle to secure the commitment from five-star defensive end Colin Simmons.
Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns won out over Brian Kelly and the Tigers, as Simmons announced Thursday that he’ll play in Austin next fall.
Miami was the third finalist in Simmons’ recruitment.
Simmons is the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2024 ESPN 300, and the No. 1-ranked defensive end.
His decision to stay home and play in-state will provide an immediate boost on the trail as the Longhorns’ 2024 class currently sits 24th in ESPN’s rankings. Texas hauled in the third-best class in 2023.
Quarterback Arch Manning (No. 5 overall) and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (No. 16 overall) were both five-star prospects in the 2023 class and Simmons is the program’s first five-star defensive lineman since Jackson Jeffcoat (No. 2 overall) in 2010.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Simmons recorded 79 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 22½ sacks for Duncanville High School (Texas) as a junior, helping the team to a 15-0 record and Texas’ Class 6A Division I state championship.