Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List includes three Longhorns

Texas Football continues to shine on the national stage as junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, and sophomore edge rusher Colin Simmons have been named to the 2025 Walter Camp National Player of the Year preseason watch list—the most selections of any school.

The Walter Camp Award, the fourth-oldest individual honor in college football, has previously been won by Longhorn legends Ricky Williams (1998) and Colt McCoy (2008–09). Texas has produced semifinalists in back-to-back years, with Quinn Ewers (2024) and T’Vondre Sweat (2023) earning the nod.

Anthony Hill Jr. headlines the list with a decorated resume. A preseason First-Team All-SEC pick, Hill started all 16 games last season, racking up 103 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, 8 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. His dominant outing against Oklahoma earned him multiple national honors. Hill is also on watch lists for the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Arch Manning, a rising star under center, is also on the Maxwell Award watch list and was named Third-Team All-SEC. In 2024, he completed 68% of his passes for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns, adding 4 rushing scores. Manning’s breakout came against UTSA, where he accounted for five total touchdowns, including a 67-yard run.

Colin Simmons, the reigning Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year, made an immediate impact with 9 sacks, 14 TFLs, and 3 forced fumbles. He led all FBS freshmen in sacks and earned First-Team All-SEC preseason honors. Simmons is also on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

The Walter Camp watch list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists in November, with the winner announced Dec. 12 on ESPN.