Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Lakeland (Fla.) Christian High School running back T.J. Simmons re- ceived an offer from Notre Dame in January, and although he has put the Irish high on his list, the school has tough competition for the 2015 pros- pect. Considered one of the stars of his class due to his explosiveness, Sim- mons has declared Florida, Clemson, Ohio State and Auburn, along with Notre Dame, as his favorites amongst his 11 Division I offers. When asked what he is looking for in a college, the first-team Class 3A all-state selection responded with four major qualities, ranked in importance: education, chemistry with the players and coaches, seeing himself playing football there for four years and feel- ing like home. "I like Notre Dame not only because it's a good football school, but an edu- cation degree from there is phenom- enal," Simmons said. "Plus the tradi- tion and the people around. Coach Tony Alford, the coach who's been re- cruiting me, is a down-home guy. "Since he contacted my head coaches, it's all been uphill for me and Notre Dame." Staying in his home state doesn't seem to be a major factor for Simmons, even though the major Florida pro- grams are pushing for him, and he has attended their summer camps. "The education and coaches are more important than staying close to home," the 5-10, 190-pound prospect said. "I could bring great speed and lead- ership to the Notre Dame program. I want to help take them back to a na- tional championship." Simmons plans on checking out the campus and South Bend in the spring to see if he gets that home feeling. He will then weigh in his family's opin- ions, touch base with his top five picks and make a decision before the fall season. But for now, he is enjoying the at- tention from the programs interested in him. "It's humbling, but it puts a smile on my face," he said. "I'm excited to take my visits and just having fun with the whole process." — Staci Gasser Four-Star Florida Running Back Puts Notre Dame On List T.J. SIMMONS ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Lakeland Christian High School Lakeland, Fla. Status: Offered Class: 2015 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 190 40-Yard Dash: 4.38 247Sports Rankings: No. 267 overall prospect in the class of 2015, the No. 24 running back in nation and the No. 33 player in Florida