The nation’s leading sack artist was helped off the field in the fourth quarter
Locked in a dog fight with Florida early in the fourth quarter, No. 7 Texas saw its star pass rusher Colin Simmons go down with an apparent leg injury.
Simmons was tended to on the field by the medical staff before being helped off of the field and into the medical tent while putting minimal weight on his right leg. Simmons was later shown leaving the tent and getting on a cart to be taken to the back for further evaluations.
Simmons came into Week 7 as the nation’s leader in sacks with 9.5 and added another against Florida to reach 10.5 just six games into the season. Simmons entered the year as a projected first-round draft pick and has put himself in the conversation to go No. 1 overall with his play through this season.
He’s on the short list alongside Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith for the title of the best player in college football, and Longhorns fans will hold their breath waiting for an official update on his status going forward.
Losing Simmons for any extended period of time would be a significant blow to the Texas defense that has been among the best in college football. Simmons leads the team in sacks by a wide margin, with Maraad Watson coming into the game second on the team with 3.0 sacks this season.
Simmons’ ability to pressure the quarterback is crucial to their defense, allowing the Longhorns to be more aggressive on the outside, knowing quarterbacks will rarely have the opportunity to sit back and push the ball downfield.
