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Several Longhorns make On3's Way-Too-Early All-American teams

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•about 9 hours•

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Colin Simmons
Colin Simmons (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

In the thick of the offseason, On3 is projecting 2025 postseason honors. Ari Wasserman released his way-too-early 2025 All-American teams on Tuesday, and a handful of Longhorns were included.

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Wasserman added EDGE Colin Simmons and LB Anthony Hill to his first team, while QB Arch Manning and S Michael Taaffe were second team selections.

Simmons, a true freshman All-American and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, had 48 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, nine sacks, one interceptions, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles. Simmons was joined by South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart at the position.

Here’s what Wasserman said about Simmons.

What a year it was for freshmen, right? What made Simmons so impressive was he stepped into an ultra-talented Texas defense and became one of the biggest impact players the Longhorns have right out of the gate. A five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Simmons stepped into one of the most physical positions in football and changed games. He finished the season with nine sacks and also had three forced fumbles and an interception. You’ll be hearing his name a lot as Texas makes a run for the 2025 national title.

Hill, a second-team All-American according to the AFCA, the AP, The Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, was the most prolific player on the 2024 Longhorn defense. He recorded 113 tackles with 16.5 for loss and eight sacks, plus one interception, two passes defended, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He was joined by Clemson’s Sammy Brown and Ole Miss’ Suntarine Perkins as first-team selections.

Here’s what Wasserman said about Hill.

 If you’re wondering why Texas is a trendy pick to win the national title next year, look no further than what the Longhorns have on defense. The combo of Simmons and Hill could be one of the best defensive duos in the country. Hill was a menace last year, registering 16.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He’s due for a monster year this season.

Manning was the second-team selection behind Florida’s DJ Lagway. During his redshirt freshman season, Manning was 61-for-90 for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also rushed 25 times for 108 yards and four scores in 10 games.

Taaffe, a second-team All-American according to the AP, logged 78 tackles with 5.5 for loss and 2.0 sacks. He logged a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions. The first-team safeties were Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Michigan’s Rod Moore. Taaffe was joined on the second team by Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman.

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Way-too-early 2025 First-Team All-Americans

Offense

Defense

Way-too-early 2025 Second-Team All-Americans

Offense

Defense

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