LSU football recruiting target Colin Simmons, No. 1 edge rusher, commits to Texas

BATON ROUGE — Five-star edge rusher Colin Simmons has committed to Texas over LSU football, Simmons announced Thursday.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Simmons is the No. 8 player and No. 1 edge rusher in the nation from the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports Composite. He attends Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas and is the No. 1 prospect in the state.
Simmons chose the Longhorns over LSU and Miami. LSU defensive coordinator Matt House and special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach John Janceck were his lead recruiters, according to On3 Sports, but their recruiting efforts weren't enough to convince the elite edge rusher to bolt for Baton Rouge.
If he had committed to LSU, Simmons would have been the Tigers' first five-star prospect in their class and the second top-10 player nationally to commit to the program since Brian Kelly became coach, joining Harold Perkins.
LSU's highest-rated recruit is four-star tight end Trey'Dez Green, the No. 59 player in the nation.
The Tigers still have a top-10 recruiting class in the nation even without Simmons' commitment. But without his pledge, it becomes increasingly difficult to see how LSU can conjure up a top-5 recruiting class in this recruiting cycle.
But Thursday wasn't all bad for LSU on the recruiting trail, as LSU landed Simmons' high school teammate and four-star running back Caden Durham just moments before Simmons' commitment.