While Colin Simmons has been out of action for the last few weeks, the Longhorns star is still making headlines. On Tuesday, Simmons was named one of 18 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award. Each year, the honor is given to the top college defensive player in the nation. It is named in honor of Chuck Bednarik, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania and later a multi-time All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

In seven games this season, the Dallas native has recorded 10.5 sacks and 25 total tackles. He has also forced two fumbles and added 16 tackles for a loss to his resume. As Simmons has been a human highlight reel, he has placed himself in elite territory, ranking top five in the country in sacks and tackles for a loss. 

With Tuesday's news, Simmons has joined the list of former program legends. Last season, Anthony Hill Jr. was a semifinalist. The year before that, Jahdae Barron was also a semifinalist. For Simmons, the hope is that he can go farther than the two and bring some hardware back to Austin. 

As Simmons has put together another elite season, the Texas defense has held its own. They currently rank seventh in the country in defense team passing efficiency and tenth in total defense. That is partly why they have spent most of the season in the top ten despite being without key pieces.

Over the next few weeks, Simmons will be a player to watch as the regular season winds down and the Longhorns shift their focus to the playoffs. In order to win a nation title, Simmons will be relied on heavily against some of the top programs in the nation.