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Colin Simmons leads one of Pro Football Focus' top defensive lines in 2025

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•06/07/25•

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Colin-Simmons

Ranking season continues over at Pro Football Focus, and the Texas Longhorns were said to have the No. 10 defensive line in the country according to PFF’s Max Chadwick. Led by future first-rounder Colin Simmons, Texas had the No. 5 line in the SEC.

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The rankings were…

  1. Clemson
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas Tech
  4. Florida
  5. Penn State
  6. Michigan
  7. Georgia
  8. Miami (Fla.)
  9. Oklahoma
  10. Texas

Oregon was listed as an honorable mention.

Simmons is projected to be one of the best defensive players in college football in 2025, and he won’t lack for talent around him according to PFF. Defensive tackle transfers Travis Shaw and Cole Brevard were mentioned as key additions, as were true freshmen Lance Jackson and Justus Terry.

Here’s what PFF had to say about the Longhorns defensive line.

The Longhorns bring back the nation’s best edge defender in Colin Simmons. The former five-star recruit hit the ground running as a true freshman, finishing 2024 as the sixth-most valuable edge defender in the nation according to our WAA metric. The only five above him were all drafted within the first four rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft: Abdul Carter, Jack Sawyer, Mike Green, Josaiah Stewart and JT Tuimoloau.

Texas added former Purdue interior defender Cole Brevard in the transfer portal, and he was 12th in the Big Ten with a 75.0 PFF grade last year. Travis Shaw also transferred in from North Carolina and was 16th among ACC defensive tackles with 15 defensive stops a year ago. The Longhorns brought back senior edge defender Ethan Burke, who played 324 snaps last season. Texas added a few five-star freshmen, as well, in defensive tackle Justus Terry and edge defender Lance Jackson, both of whom were the No. 2 player at their position in the 2025 high school class.

It should also be noted that one of its starting edge defenders from 2024, Trey Moore, is back for another year but is expected to move to an off-ball linebacker role. His eight sacks last season were 10th among SEC edge rushers, though.

Texas wasn’t listed by PFF as having one of the best offensive lines in the nation even with DJ Campbell, Trevor Goosby, and Cole Hutson developing into key contributors. That said, Kyle Flood‘s group will have to face off against defensive lines rated as the No. 4, 7, and 9 units in the defensive trenches in the country. Florida boasts Tyreak Sapp and Caleb Banks, while Georgia maintains its always strong defensive front with Christen Miller, Jordan Hall, and transfer Elo Modozie. Oklahoma has Gracen Halton, R Mason Thomas, and Damonic Williams back to cause trouble for opposing offenses.

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The Longhorns will look to maintain what’s been a strong defensive line tradition under Steve Sarkisian, with Simmons leading a host of transfers and several developing position mates against opposing offenses this fall.

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