By Habari Sports
DALLAS | September 29, 2026 — Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons has been named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after setting a school record with 5.5 sacks in the Longhorns’ 20-17 road victory over Tennessee.
The Football Writers Association of America selected the junior for the weekend of September 26 following a performance that tied for the third-highest single-game sack total in FBS history since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
According to the FWAA, Simmons is the first FBS player to record 5.5 sacks against a ranked opponent since 2006.
Record Performance Powers Texas Defense
Simmons finished with nine tackles, including six solo stops, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. His sacks produced 55 yards of losses for Tennessee.
He accounted for more than half of Texas’ 10.5 sacks, the program’s second-highest single-game total behind its record of 15 in 1981.
Texas’ sacks collectively cost Tennessee 73 yards. The Longhorns held the Volunteers to 221 yards of total offense, their lowest total since their 2020 bowl game, according to the release. Tennessee managed just 88 yards in the first half.
| Simmons against Tennessee | Total |
|---|---|
| Tackles | 9 |
| Solo tackles | 6 |
| Sacks | 5.5 |
| Yards lost on his sacks | 55 |
| Forced fumbles | 1 |
| Quarterback hurries | 1 |
Simmons Moves Into the National Sack Lead
The record outing raised Simmons’ season total to 7.5 sacks, putting him atop the FBS rankings at the time of the announcement.
His production builds on a 2025 season in which he led the SEC with 12 sacks and earned SEC Defensive Lineman or Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week recognition four times.
Simmons has recorded at least one sack in eight of his last nine games dating to 2025. Against top-25 opponents, he has accumulated 15.5 career sacks and registered at least one in each of his last seven appearances.
He is the first Texas player to record at least four sacks in a game since Alex Okafor had 4.5 in the 2012 Alamo Bowl.
Latest Honor Adds to Texas’ Award History
Simmons becomes the sixth Texas player to receive the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor since the award began in 2001.
He is the first Longhorn honored since linebacker Jaylen Ford received the award for the weekend of November 5, 2022.
Texas has produced two Bronko Nagurski Trophy winners: Derrick Johnson in 2004 and Brian Orakpo in 2008. Defensive tackle Malcom Brown was a finalist in 2014, and defensive back Jahdae Barron was a finalist in 2024.
Simmons was already on the trophy’s preseason watch list.
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Dates Announced
The FWAA and Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce the four finalists for the 2026 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 19.
The national defensive player of the year will be selected from those finalists, who are part of the 2026 FWAA All-America Team.
The trophy presentation is scheduled for December 7 at the Charlotte Convention Center during the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet. The winner will also be announced on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 11.
The award honors Bronko Nagurski, the former University of Minnesota two-way star and Chicago Bears player who is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
For Simmons, the weekly recognition follows a record-setting effort that helped Texas secure a three-point road victory and strengthened his place among the season’s leading defensive performers.
Source: Football Writers Association of America press release, September 29, 2026. Statistics and rankings reflect the release’s reporting date.
More Stories
Florida Earns Pop-Tarts Bowl Team of the Week After 52-28 Win Over No. 4 Ole Miss
UAB’s Jonah Delange Ties National Field-Goal Lead, Climbs Program Record Book
UCLA’s Sammy Omosigho, Florida’s Jayden Woods Added to Bednarik Award Watch List