Tyler Simmons will take his last official visit to Kansas
The Jayhawks are going to get the final visit from Tyler Simmons as the June recruiting period comes to close.
Simmons, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman will arrive in Lawrence on Friday. Defensive tackles coach Jim Panagos is the lead recruiter.
“It's been great getting to know him ever since he started recruiting me a couple months ago,” Simmons said of Panagos. “We've been talking basically every day, whether it's FaceTime or text message. That shows me that he really cares about me.”
Every visit he has taken there is a checklist he uses and that will not change with his trip to Kansas.
“When I go to a school, I'm looking at the people, scheme, the culture and development,” he said. “Those are the things I'm looking for in a college. I'm just trying to find the best fit for wherever I go.”
Simmons plays at Windermere Prep in Florida and has attracted interest from college recruiters all over the country. As he goes through the recruiting process he does not have to go far for good advice.
His father, Brian, played in the NFL for 10 years with Cincinnati and New Orleans. He was a first-round draft pick out of North Carolina and a first-team All-American.
“He's been guiding me in recruiting and obviously for actual football,” he said. “He teaches me a lot with technique and fundamentals, so it's great. He looks out for me and tells me what to look for when it comes to scheme to play and the type of coaches and people I want to be around, because he's been in the game for a long time.”
Kansas will be his third official visit of the month. The first two went to Northwestern and Virginia.
“Both were very different, but very similar in the same way,” Simmons said. “Virginia is a bigger public school and Northwestern being a smaller private school, so those were ways that it was different. They're both similar in terms of scheme for me and they both have really good people.”
Simmons has an impressive offer list that includes Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton and several schools known for quality academics. Football is important, but academics will play key part in his decision.
“My parents and I both want me to get a top education and play high level football at the same time,” he said. “I have a 4.0 GPA. That's really important in my family. So, when I go to colleges, I'm trying to see what classes they have to offer and how I can be the best person I can be along with being athlete and academics as well.”
After his visit to Kansas, he will analyze the three schools he visited this month. He is looking at a July decision and the timing will be determined whether he wants to take another visit.
“I might go somewhere the last week in July to see another school,” he said. “But as of now, I have the intention of making the decision in July. I want to see all the places I can, so I can make an informed decision, because this is going to be the biggest decision I've made so far in my life.”