Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/584460
PREP PROFILES When Notre Dame offered Ann Ar- bor (Mich.) Pioneer athlete Antjuan Simmons Sept. 22, he was an unranked junior with a handful of offers from low-level Mid-American Conference schools. Fast-forward just a few weeks, and Simmons has gone from a relative un- known on the re- cruiting scene to one of the hottest re- cruits in the state of Michigan with offers in hand from Ohio State, Miami, Penn State and LSU. While Simmons describes the in- creased interest as "crazy," he admits that it's the Irish who might have the inside track to land his services. Sim- mons and his mother took an unof- ficial visit to Notre Dame the weekend of the UMass game Sept. 26, and the class of 2017 prospect left more than just impressed with South Bend. "It was special," Simmons said. "I pretty much talked to every coach. I talked to [head coach] Brian Kelly, [defensive line coach] Keith Gilmore, [defensive coordinator] Brian Van- Gorder and [running backs coach] Autry Denson — pretty much every- one. "They were just talking about trying to get me back for another visit." Which won't be a problem according to Simmons. The 6-1, 199-pound Simmons — who projects as a running back or linebacker at the next level — camped at Notre Dame in June. He liked the campus so much that once he was offered a schol- arship Sept. 22, he knew right away that he was going to re- turn for an unofficial visit. "My trainer is good friends with one of the assistant strength coaches at Notre Dame, and he told him to bring some of his top guys out for a camp," Simmons said. "I ended up doing pretty well. I worked out at run- ning back, wide receiver, safety and line- backer, and I have been on contact with the coaches pretty much since then." When asked what mom thinks of the Irish, Simmons said she already likes the blue and gold. "She's very high on Notre Dame," Simmons said. "They have basically won her over already. It's a big school and they are one of the first to throw an offer out there, even with Michigan be- ing right in our backyard." Simmons, who is currently unranked by Rivals, ran for 495 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore. — Andrew Ivins Irish Are In Strong Position For Fast-Rising Athlete ANTJUAN SIMMONS Pioneer High School Ann Arbor, Mich. Status: Offered Class: 2017 Position: Athlete Ht.: 6-1 · Wt.: 199 40-Yard Dash: 4.6 Rivals Rankings: Currently unrated