Spring football is on the horizon for the 13 FBS programs in the state of Texas and that means it is time to shift focus toward the 2026 season and rank the 10 best players at each position, continuing with edge rushers.    

The Lone Star State sent 10 programs to bowl games and two to the College Football Playoff in a historic year for college teams here in Texas. Five of the 13 finished inside the AP Top 25 and only Baylor, Sam Houston, and UTEP failed to reach the postseason. Nine of the 13 teams finished with a winning record. 

Previous rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL 

1. Colin Simmons, Texas 

2025 stats: 43 tackles, 12 sacks, 15.5 TFL, 3 FF 

A future first round NFL draft pick who is likely entering his final season at the college level, Simmons might be the best edge rusher in the country, much less Texas. He led all underclassmen in the FBS with 12 sacks, which ranked sixth nationally and first in the SEC regardless of class. His 15.5 tackles for loss ranked 18th nationally and is the most of any returning player in Texas. The Duncanville native has lived up to his five-star hype and will be on every preseason All-American list. 

2. Adam Trick, Texas Tech 

2025 stats: 59 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 12.5 TFL, 3 FF, 1 INT (Miami Ohio) 

Texas Tech hopes to strike gold at the edge rusher position for the second portal window in a row, headlined by Trick’s addition. His 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss rank second amongst returners in the state of Texas, trailing only Simmons in both categories. Trick is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior who should help replace the production lost by David Bailey and Romello Height. Trick started all 13 games last year for Miami (OH) and was a First-Team All-MAC selection. 

3. Trey White, Texas Tech

2025 stats: 47 tackles, 7 sacks, 10.5 TFL (San Diego State)

White was another key addition at edge rusher through the portal and should team up with Trick to form the best 1-2 pass rush combination in the Big 12. Only time will tell if the duo can truly replace Bailey and Height. White was an All-Mountain West First Team selection and is entering his senior season. 

4. Anto Saka, Texas A&M 

2025 stats: 13 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 TFL, 2 FF (Northwestern)

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Saka was listed on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” heading into 2025 and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko hopes he can help Saka reach his ceiling and replace the departing production of Cashius Howell, who could be a first-round draft pick come April. Saka started 11 games but only recorded 13 tackles. He did get to the quarterback, compiling three sacks and four tackles for loss, but he needs to be more consistent to match his on-field play with his off-field hype. 

5. Brandon Mack, Houston 

2025 stats: 33 tackles, 5 sacks, 6 TFL, 2 FF

Mack started the last nine games of 2025 for the Coogs at the JACK position and should enter 2026 as one of the top edge rushers in the Big 12. He was one of three Houston players to force multiple fumbles and notched a sack in six of the team’s 13 games. He’s played a lot of college football, including four seasons as a reserve at Ole Miss. 

6. Marques White, SMU 

2025 stats: 50 tackles, 5 sacks, 11 TFL (UMass)

UMass was the worst team in the FBS ranks last year but it wasn’t all bad for the Minutemen. White was a bright spot in his only year with the program after spending time at McNeese State and Dartmouth, where he was a two-time All-Ivy League selection. SMU loses both of its best edge rushers in Cameron Robertson and Isaiah Smith and the defensive unit is under new direction with Maurice Crum taking over as play caller for Scott Symons, who is now with the Dallas Cowboys. 

7. Ryan Davis, Baylor 

2025 stats: 14 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 TFL, 1 FF

New Baylor defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman brought Davis with him from Kansas State and that’s good news for a Bears unit that needs to improve its pass rush in 2026. Davis began to turn the corner at the end of his sophomore season in 2025, recording all his sacks (3) and tackles for loss (4) in two of the final three games of the season. His knowledge of the system, and Klanderman’s familiarity with him, should be a leg up on the rest of Baylor’s edge options. 

8. Paul Oyewale, TCU 

2025 stats: 31 tackles, 2 sacks, 7.5 TFL 

Another team that needs to improve its edge rush is TCU and Oyewale is the most likely to break out. He returned from a major injury in 2025 and never became a dominant figure, but with a full offseason and another season under defensive coordinator Andy Avalos could be the perfect recipe. 

9. Marco Jones, Texas A&M 

2025 stats: 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 TFL

A consensus four-star prospect who played well when given snaps as a true freshman. His upside is hard to ignore and his 6-foot-5, 258-pound frame means Jones can be an every-down defensive end in the SEC. With Cashius Howell gone and the need for big plays off the edge, Jones could be one of the breakout stars in the SEC in 2026. 

10. Lance Jackson, Texas

2025 stats: 16 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFL 

Jackson is another highly ranked edge prospect from the 2025 class that emerged as a future star by the end of his true freshman season. Jackson earned the start in the bowl game against Michigan and should get plenty of 1-on-1 matchups because of the attention paid to Simmons on the other side.