The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 1/1 Football places four on Lombardi Award watch list
08.12.2025 | Football
DJ Campbell, Jack Endries, Anthony Hill Jr. and Colin Simmons were named to the preseason watch list.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 1 Texas Football's DJ Campbell, Jack Endries, Anthony Hill Jr. and Colin Simmons were named to the preseason watch list for the Lombardi Award, the Lombardi Award Committee announced Tuesday. In memory of coach Vince Lombardi, the Lombardi Award was established in 1970 and is presented to outstanding linemen who best epitomize his values of leadership, courage, performance, and discipline on and off the field.
Last season, former Longhorn left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. took home the award in addition to the Outland Trophy. He became the fourth Longhorn and first offensive lineman to win the prestigious award, becoming the first recipient since defensive end Brian Orakpo in 2008. Defensive tackles Tony Degrate (1984) and Kenneth Sims (1981) won it in the 1980s. Nine other Longhorns have been finalists, including Justin Blalock (2006), Rodrique Wright (2005), Derrick Johnson (2004), Cory Redding (2002), Doug Dawson (1983), Steve McMichael (1979), Brad Shearer (1977), Bill Wyman (1973) and Jerry Sisemore (1972).
Texas' four selections on the Lombardi Award preseason watch list tie Alabama and Clemson for the most of any program this season.
Heading into his senior season in 2025, Campbell was also put on the preseason watch list for the 80th Outland Trophy and garnered preseason First-Team All-SEC praise on offense in July. A 6-foot-3 offensive guard from Arlington, Texas, Campbell has played in 37 games with 30 starts, including starting in all 16 games in 2024. Last season, he was part of an offensive line unit that was nabbed a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the nation's most outstanding offensive line unit. He was a key piece to a UT offensive line that protected for QB Quinn Ewers, who completed 293-of-445 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 248.0 yards per contest in 14 starts. Ewers finished sixth in the FBS in passing touchdowns (31), 14th in passing yards (3,472), 14th in points responsible for (202), 25th in passing efficiency (149), 26th in passing yards per game (248.0), 26th in completion percentage (65.8 percent), and 27th in completions per game (20.93). He was a part of a balanced Longhorn offense that averaged 278.8 passing yards (14th FBS), 158.8 rushing yards and 33 points (29th FBS) per game. He blocked for running backs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner. Blue was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, and Wisner is the SEC's only returning 1,000-yard rusher ahead of the 2025 season. Wisner ran for 1,064 yards on the ground in 2024.
Endries, a junior, also earned spots on the preseason watch lists for the John Mackey and Biletnikoff awards. He was a preseason Third-Team All-SEC selection in July.
Endries has joined the Longhorns after playing two seasons at Cal where he started all 26 games of those years. He led the Golden Bears with 623 receiving yards on 56 receptions (11.13 ypc) as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. Endries earned All-ACC Honorable Mention after ranking third amongst all ACC tight ends in receiving yards, averaging 47.9 receiving yards per game. He also snagged two touchdown receptions and recorded a pair of 100-yard receiving efforts in 2024. The Danville, Calif. product paced Cal with three receptions for 78 yards, including a career-long 57-yard touchdown reception, vs. No. 8 Miami on Oct. 5, 2024. Endries followed with another stellar performance at No. 22 Pitt on Oct. 12, pulling in eight catches for a career-high 119 receiving yards and a score. Endries recorded his second 100-yard receiving performance in as many games after snaring a career-high nine receptions for 101 yards vs. NC State on Oct. 19. Endries concluded the 2024 campaign with seven receptions for 61 yards against UNLV in the Art of LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk on Dec. 18.
As a freshman in 2023, he earned first-team (College Football Network), second-team (The Athletic) and honorable mention (College Football News) Freshman All-America honors after registering 35 receptions for 407 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 31.3 yards per game. Endries was Cal's nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy in 2023, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding FBS player who began his career as a walk-on. In two seasons at Cal, Endries has played in 26 games and has manufactured 91 receptions for 1,030 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His 1,030 receiving yards over the previous two seasons are the most by any returning Power Four tight end.
Hill, a junior, has also been placed on preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Hill, a preseason First-Team All-SEC selection, started all 16 games at linebacker as a sophomore in 2024, earning second-team All-America honors by the AFCA, Associated Press, The Sporting News and Walter Camp. The Denton, Texas, product was tabbed a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Butkus awards in 2024. Hill led UT in tackles (103), tackles for loss (16.5), and forced fumbles (4), while sitting third on the squad in sacks (8). He composed three double-digit tackling performances and was credited with 0.5-or-more tackles for loss in 11 different games. Hill received national praise following his standout performance in Texas' 34-3 win over No. 18/16 Oklahoma in the Allstate Red River Rivalry on Oct. 12. He garnered Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 15), Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week (Oct. 16) and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week accolades (Oct. 14). Against the Sooners, Hill compiled 11 tackles (seven solo), two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one pressure in Texas' win. Hill is a third-year player who has appeared in 30 games with 22 starts.
Simmons has also been named to the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in addition to earning preseason First-Team All-SEC praise. Simmons had a breakout year in his first season on the Forty Acres, emerging as a standout on an elite Texas defense and becoming the first Longhorn to be chosen the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year since the award's inception in 2018. Simmons appeared in all 16 games, leading the team with 9.0 sacks that totaled a loss of 64 yards and ranking second in tackles for loss (14.0-73), quarterback hurries (nine) and forced fumbles (three). Simmons also compiled 48 total tackles (31 solo), an interception and two pass break-ups. He led all FBS freshmen in total sacks, while his nine sacks were the third-most by a freshman in program single-season history.
Texas opens the 2025 season on the road at No. 2 Ohio State at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Aug. 30, inside Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The game will broadcast as part of FOX's Big Noon Kickoff, and ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast live from the Ohio State University campus. College GameDay will air for three hours from 8-11 a.m. CT, hosted by Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAffee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit and other ESPN personalities. It will be the final show for longtime ESPN personality Lee Corso as he is set to retire following Week 1 of the 2025 season.
