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Colin Simmons' Texas over LSU decision 'really came down to the last moment,' Caden Durham says

by:Jerit Roser•03/12/25
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LSU RB commit Caden Durham alongside Five-Star Plus+ Texas EDGE commit Colin Simmons (Sam Spiegelman, On3)

A pair of former Duncanville teammates earned SEC All-Freshman honors this fall — and, according to one, may have been extremely close to both doing so in LSU jerseys.

Four-star running back Caden Durham and five-star running back Colin Simmons announced their respective college commitments together Aug. 10, 2023, to LSU and Texas, respectively.

The Tigers were the only program in both highly sought-after prospects’ final three schools at the time, hosting both on a visit in late July, and legitimately took the home-state Longhorns to wire for Simmons, Durham said on the latest episode of the “Locked On SEC” podcast.

“It really came down to the last moment,” Durham told host Chris Gordy during their exclusive interview. “Like whenever he picked his hat up, he was debating the whole time — well, I would say it came down to like the night of the decision, he was debating. He really didn’t know until the night of, and he prayed to God, and whatever God told him he was going with, he was going with. So, yeah, he went to Texas.”

Simmons led Texas this fall with nine sacks and finished second on the team with 14 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles during a consensus Freshman All-American campaign. He also wrapped up 48 total tackles, two pass breakups and an interception in his 16 games for the College Football Playoff semifinalists.

Durham stepped into a veteran backfield in Baton Rouge and excelled in his opportunities, despite battling injuries, to ultimately lead the Tigers in all three major rushing categories with 140 carries for 753 yards and six touchdowns.

<< Durham shares more on his, the Tigers’ outlook for 2025 >>

LSU and Texas haven’t met on the football field since 2019, a Tigers win in Austin, and aren’t scheduled to this season.

But Durham couldn’t help but smile about the potential the former Duncanville teammates could match up at some point — whether in the SEC Championship or beyond.

“That’s gonna be the game of the century, I ain’t gonna lie,” he told Gordy.

Durham expects to see another former Duncanville star sooner, though.

Quarterback Keelon Russell graduated this winter, enrolled early at Alabama and began his first spring practice this month.

Durham didn’t hesitate when asked whether he thought the Crimson Tide’s five-star signee would win the team’s starting role as a freshman.

“Most definitely, I feel like just by the way he plays football, the amount of football he knows, his IQ, his grit, his hard work and his mindset,” Durham told Gordy. “He has the mindset of ‘You’re not beating my out my spot. I want this, and you’re not taking it from me.’ So I most definitely think he’s winning the starting job, and when we play ’em, I’m gonna see him.”

And while Durham said he’d make sure to have his Tigers’ defense prepped for Russell’s tendencies, he would also expect his former high school teammate to find ways to be effective.

“Most definitely,” he said. “But I feel like he’ll still do him. He’s a good athlete. He’s a good quarterback. And he’s gonna make plays. And it is what it is.”

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