Texas star pass rusher Colin Simmons expected to miss Ole Miss game with high ankle sprain, per report

The nation's sack leader leaves a massive void for a reeling Longhorns defense that has managed just one other multi-sack contributor this season

Oct 19, 2026 at 12:26 pm ET • 1 min read

Texas defensive end Colin Simmons will miss this weekend's game against Ole Miss as the Longhorns star deals with a high ankle sprain, according to ESPN. His status going forward will be considered week-to-week.

Simmons needed help reaching the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' 27-24 loss to Florida and was ultimately carted off to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the day as Texas lost their second straight game, blowing a 14-point first-half lead. 

The Dallas native ranks as the best player on Texas's roster and one of the best in the country. Simmons leads the nation with 10.5 sacks and has recorded 45.5 tackles for loss and 31.5 sacks in 35 games with the Longhorns. Against Tennessee, Simmons recorded a program-record 5.5 sacks. 

Simmons is the catalyst of Texas's defense, which leans on generating pass rush pressure to free up defensive backs to play physically. Without Simmons, defensive tackle Maraad Watson is the only other player on the roster with more than one sack. Freshman Richard Wesley, a top 100 recruit from Chatsworth, California, ranks next on the depth chart. 

The loss of Simmons comes at a devastating time for the program as Texas goes through an identity crisis. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said all options are on the table after the embarrassing 1-2 start to SEC play, including benching quarterback Arch Manning or Sarkisian giving up playcalling responsibilities. 

If Simmons remains out for the full four weeks, he would miss home games against No. 7 Ole Miss and Mississippi State and road trips to No. 22 Missouri and No. 18 LSU. All four teams have dynamic quarterbacks who thrive when opposing teams struggle to get pressure.