Alex January, a four-star defensive end, joins Texas
Although Colin Simmons’ commitment to the Texas Longhorns came from a talented Duncanville team, Kyle Flood isn’t the only Texas position coach who adores his #BigHumans. Simmons wasn’t the only player the Longhorns lured into the boat.
In fact, six foot four, 325-pound three-star defensive tackle Alex January was targeted fairly early in the cycle by Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis, who ensured his talents were headed to Austin with an offer a year ago.
January is a Longhorn by heritage; his father, Mike January, was a linebacker at the University of Texas in the 1980s. January is now formally becoming a Longhorn, carrying on his father’s legacy.
January joined the Longhorn class in early July after Texas secured his services by defeating Florida State, LSU, and Texas Tech. January never looked back or wavered after he made the decision to carry on the family legacy in Austin.
This is a breakdown of January’s game since he made his summer commitment to the Longhorns:
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, January—a three-star prospect by most—is ranked as the No. 500 player in the country and the No. 56 defensive lineman.
Colin Simmons is an elite edge player that the Texas Longhorns added on Early Signing Day to further strengthen their defense at the point of attack.
Texas emerged victorious in one of the most fiercely contested recruiting cycles for the Longhorns, with the LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, and Texas leading the final pack. He visited Texas and the Texas A&M Aggies during his four official visits in June. In July, he went on an unofficial visit to the Tigers.But after everything was said and done, Simmons promised the Longhorns.
Simmons stated that he ultimately decided on Texas because he feels the Longhorns offer him the best opportunity to provide for his family.
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Similar to the widely acknowledged five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo, it was anticipated that the coaching staff would need to persist in recruiting Simmons as if he was undecided before the early signing period, but Simmons remained steadfast after making his commitment.
The nation’s top linebacker, Anthony Hill Jr., was acquired by the Longhorns from the Aggies, and this is the second year in a row that the team’s defensive coaches have thrown everything on the line for an elite in-state player in need of a player and emerged with his services.
With a proven ability to beat blockers off the edge, Simmons played a crucial role in Duncanville’s dominant run atop Class 6A and their consecutive state titles during his three years there. He also turned in 41.5 sacks in his three seasons as a starter for the Panthers and was named 6A Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.
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The top-ranked defensive prospect in the class for Texas, Simmons, may offer the Longhorns some positional flexibility once he gets to Austin, depending on how his body adjusts. As his body changes during the Texas strength and conditioning program, he may be able to play linebacker or as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. Right now, he performs best in a two-point stance coming off of the edge.
Before moving to the SEC in 2024, the Longhorns will have an absolutely outstanding defensive line. In the weeks preceding Early Signing Day, five-star safety Xavier Filsaime and highly-regarded four-star corner Kobe Black will join the class, making Simmons the leader of three elite, in-state defensive prospects.
In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Simmons—a five-star prospect by most accounts—is ranked as the No. 24 player in the country and the No. 4 edge.
