The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football has national-best three players on Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list
08.04.2025 | Football
Anthony Hill Jr., Arch Manning and Colin Simmons are on the watch list for the National Player of the Year.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football junior LB Anthony Hill Jr., sophomore QB Arch Manning and sophomore EDGE Colin Simmons were named to the Walter Camp National Player of the Year preseason watch list, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Monday. Texas leads the nation with three selections on this year's preseason watch list.
The Walter Camp is the nation's fourth-oldest individual college football accolade and is presented annually to college football's player of the year. It has been awarded to a Longhorn on three occasions (Ricky Williams, 1998; Colt McCoy, 2008-09). Texas has had back-to-back semifinalists for the award after former UT quarterback Quinn Ewers was named one in 2024. In 2023, former Texas defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat was also selected as a semifinalist for the award.
In addition to the Walter Camp National Player of the Year award watch list, Hill has been placed on preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Hill, a preseason First-Team All-SEC selection, started all 16 games at linebacker last season, 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.
Manning has also been put on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award in addition to earning a preseason All-SEC Third Team selection in a vote by the media. A third-year player who has appeared in 12 games with two starts, Manning sports a 2-0 record as a starter during his time on the Forty Acres. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Manning saw action in 10 games with the two starts, completing 61-of-91 passes (68 percent) for 939 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named the SEC's Co-Freshman of the Week on Sept. 16, was placed on the Davey O'Brien's Great 8 list on Sept. 16, and named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week on Sept. 17. The New Orleans native also added 25 carries for 108 yards and four touchdowns. He entered the game in the second quarter vs. UTSA for an injured Quinn Ewers and completed 9-of-12 passes (75 percent) for 223 yards and four touchdowns. He accounted for five total touchdowns against UTSA after recording a career-long 67-yard rushing touchdown. Making his first career start in the victory over ULM, he connected on 15-of-29 pass attempts for 258 yards and two scores. He guided Texas to its first-ever SEC win on Sept. 28, 2024, with his performance against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He went 26-for-31 (83.9 percent) for 325 yards and two touchdowns, while running the ball six times for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Simmons has also been named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in addition to earning preseason First-Team All-SEC praise on defense. 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.
The 2025 Player of Year watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in early November, and three finalists will be announced in early December. The 2025 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 133 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on ESPN's College Football Awards Show on Dec. 12.
Texas opens the 2025 slate on the road at 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.
