The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 13/13 Football’s Manning, Simmons earn SEC weekly honors
11.03.2025 | Football
QB Arch Manning was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and EDGE Colin Simmons was selected as the SEC’s Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 13/13 Texas Football QB Arch Manning has been named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week and EDGE Colin Simmons has been selected as the league's CO-Defensive Lineman of the Week, the conference office announced Monday morning.
Manning, who was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Sept. 16, 2024, earned his first SEC Offensive Player of the Week award. Manning is Texas' first SEC Offensive Player of the Week since RB Quintrevion Wisner on Dec. 2, 2024. Simmons picked up his third SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honor of the season. Simmons has been honored as the SEC's Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week in three of the last four weeks. Additionally, UT has clinched four-consecutive SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after EDGE Ethan Burke was recognized with the honor on Oct. 27.
Both Manning and Simmons were crucial in Texas' 34-31 victory over No. 9/11 Vanderbilt at home on Nov. 1. With the win, the Longhorns moved to 7-2 on the season and 4-1 in league play. Texas picked up its second AP Top-10 win of the season, which ties with Indiana for the most nationally. Since 2023, Texas has recorded 12 AP Top-25 wins, which tops the nation.
Manning posted his second-straight game of 300-plus yards passing and three passing touchdowns as he led the Longhorns to victory over the Commodores. It was the first time a Texas quarterback accomplished that in consecutive games since Sam Ehlinger in November 2018. He is also the fourth UT quarterback to reach both marks in three games in a season since 1999, joining Major Applewhite (1999), Colt McCoy (2009), and Casey Thompson (2021). Overall, Manning completed 25-of-33 attempts for 328 yards and three touchdowns. It was also the first time in 30 years Texas had eight different receivers with multiple catches and at least 15 yards receiving each. Manning opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown connection to Ryan Wingo on the first play, which was his third 75-yard touchdown pass in the last two seasons, the third-most among FBS quarterbacks in that time. Manning later registered six-yard touchdown passes to both CJ Baxter and Emmett Mosley V as the Longhorns built a 34-10 lead through the first three quarters. For the season, Manning is now 168-of-268 (62.7%) for 2,123 yards and 18 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He now has three 300-yard passing games this season and four in his career. Manning ranks third in the SEC and 10th nationally in points responsible for with 144, while his 18 passing touchdowns are fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally.
Simmons produced a strip-sack and also made the recovery on the first Vanderbilt possession of the game to go along with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two pressures in Texas' 34-31 win over the No. 9 Commodores. The recovery set up the UT offense at the Vanderbilt 29-yard line, which it converted for field goal and a 10-0 lead on the way to the win. On the Commodore's next possession, Simmons pressured the quarterback into an incomplete pass on third-and-11 at midfield to force a punt. The Texas offense then drove 83 yards on that possession for a 17-0 lead. On the following Vanderbilt possession, Simmons registered a tackle for no gain and a half tackle for a four-yard loss, helping limit the Commodores to a field goal on the possession. Overall, Simmons' efforts helped the Texas defense post six sacks, twice as many as quarterback Diego Pavia has ever suffered in a game in his career. This season, Simmons leads Texas with eight sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and eight pressures. His 0.89 sacks per game rank second in the SEC and 9th in the FBS. In his last four games, Simmons has accounted for 6.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.
The Longhorns have a bye week on Nov. 8 before traveling to No. 5/5 Georgia on Nov. 15. The game has a flex kickoff (2:30-3:30 p.m. or 5-7 p.m. CT) at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. A specific kickoff time and TV network details will be announced at a later date.
