The Texas defensive end has already made his family proud on the field, but now they'll be a bit closer in proximity to see him live out his third year in the burnt orange.
The 2026 season very likely could be Colin Simmons' last with the Texas Longhorns as the junior defensive end is expected to be one of the best prospects in the next NFL Draft cycle.
And with such a pivotal season ahead for him and his family, Simmons made sure the people he loves most were close enough to be on the journey with him as often as possible.
This week Simmons shared that he was fortunate enough to move his mother and brother from his hometown of Duncanville in South Dallas down to Austin.
"It was amazing, it was a great feeling," Simmons said about how that accomplishment felt. "My mom is highly blessed, hopefully I made her proud. She tells me she's proud of me everyday...
"But, you know, I just feel like I'm not done yet. I'm not done making her proud. I'm not done making my family proud. I'm not done making my little brother proud, like it's still more to go. Still more for me to go get for them."
Simmons' brother Clayton, 11, has autism. The Longhorns' star shared how a major factor into helping his family move was for the greater accessibility available in the Austin area as he approaches middle school.
"The programs that are down here are better than the programs up in Dallas," Simmons said. "And my mom also had to travel about an hour and a half ... just to get those good resources, and so moving her down here was like a big thing for our family with my brother going into a school that's good for him, that he's getting the right attention and the right treatment."
Simmons explained that he operates a nonprofit organization called Clay's Color Crew, which supports kids on the spectrum through color and community.
After winning the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award in 2024 and becoming an All-American in 2025, Simmons has his eyes set on once again being a top player on one of the best teams in the country.
Simmons led the SEC last season with 12.0 sacks, including registering at least one quarterback takedown in each of the Longhorns' last five games.
The Duncanville product came to Austin as a five-star recruit, and entering his third season at Texas, head coach Steve Sarkisian has noticed growth in his leadership in the locker room.
"I think Colin has really grown in that aspect,” Sarkisian said. “… We asked a little more of him last year, I asked a ton of him in December, getting ready for that bowl game … I’ve been very impressed with Colin."
"Colin's maturity has been something that I know he and his mom are very proud of, and we are very proud of, too," the coach added. "He's grown up a ton for us."
He'll continue to do so this season with his mother and brother as close as ever.