College Football1 hour ago2 minute read

Texas Defense Hurt As Star Rusher Colin Simmons Ruled Out Against Ole Miss

Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons is ruled out against Ole Miss with an ankle injury as the Longhorns try to recover from consecutive losses.

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Star Rusher Sidelined

Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons will officially miss the game against seventh ranked Ole Miss on Saturday night in Austin. The star defender hurt his ankle during the fourth quarter of the loss to Florida last weekend.

Simmons has been a dominant force for nineteenth ranked Texas this year. He currently leads the nation with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Over his career, he has racked up 31.5 sacks, which places him third all time in Texas program history.

That stat also ranks as the fourth highest sack total by an FBS player through his first three seasons over the last two decades. The only players ahead of him on that list are Will Anderson of Alabama, Derek Barnett of Tennessee, and Myles Garrett of Texas A&M.

Depth Concerns Mount

Depth at edge rusher is a big concern for Texas heading into this game. The team will also be without freshman edge rusher Richard Wesley, who was one of the potential options to replace Simmons.

Wesley arrived as a five star recruit who was ranked eighth overall in his recruiting class. Reports on Thursday indicated that Wesley suffered a high ankle sprain. He could miss the rest of the regular season.

Offense and Team Slump

The health issues extend beyond the defense. Running back Hollywood Smothers was downgraded from probable to questionable on the SEC availability report on Thursday.

Texas needs to find answers quickly. The Longhorns have dropped from No. 1 all the way to No. 19 in the nation following back to back losses against Oklahoma and Florida. Losing key talent on the line makes a comeback much more difficult.

What it means for the next game

Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns (College Football, Sat, 24 Oct): Texas Longhorns win 54%, Ole Miss Rebels win 46%; projected score Texas Longhorns 29, Ole Miss Rebels 25. Our safest pick: Over 43.5 points.

Auburn Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels (College Football, Sat, 31 Oct): Ole Miss Rebels win 77%, Auburn Tigers win 23%; projected score Ole Miss Rebels 32, Auburn Tigers 21. Our safest pick: Ole Miss to win.