His dream school passed on him. Now he’s Clemson’s best player on defense

Football Insider Board
#1

As if we needed any further proof that the previous coaching staff was lazy, incompetent and couldn’t recruit to save their life, I get to read this in my statewide paper this morning.

As someone who has the misfortune of having to watch Clemson play every week, there’s no doubt that Simmons is an athletic freak that is also a talented football player.

https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/acc/clemson-university/article235125837.html

Simmons was recruited by several schools within driving distance of his hometown of Olathe, Kansas, but the school he really wanted to attend was not one of them.

“He wanted to go to Arkansas. And for some odd reason they would not offer him a scholarship,” Victor said. “He liked Fayetteville. He liked the town and everything like that. And it’s only four hours away from our house.”

Simmons camped at Arkansas and performed well for head coach Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks’ staff as his recruitment was heating up, but apparently not well enough to earn an offer.

“If it would’ve been up to him, he would’ve been to Arkansas. And I’m almost certain that if Arkansas would have offered him a scholarship he wouldn’t have went to Clemson,” Victor said. “But they said they didn’t know what they’d do with him.”

Read more here: https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/acc/clemson-university/article235125837.html#storylink=cpy

#2

Mercy!

#3

More sad “old news”. And camped at Arkansas?

54 solo tackles last year from his LB position.

#4

He really was just an absolute idiot.

Ran a 4.37 right in front of his face and he didn’t know what he could do with him? With that frame? My god, the con of all cons.

#5

Unbelievable. Just un-freakin-believable. SMH.

#6

This just makes me sick

#7

image
CEF7551F-F2BA-43E0-A49F-35F1247C041F.jpeg750×1334 133 KB

1 Like
#8

This current staff would not have failed on this kid! CCM would have offered quickly and said, we will figure out the spot later but we want you badly! That frame and that speed, knowing in a weight room system of our level, he would have gotten much stronger and not lost the speed. Unreal swing and miss by CBB and staff and just another example of why we are digging out of things.

#9

This is just another example of Bret thinking he was smarter than anyone else in the room at any given time. In fact hes just a complete idiot. I have seen his recruiting defended by several people, and this is just another story that should absolutely end that. He was a worthless and lazy recruiter,developer,evaluator and coach. Another tidbit that i saw on twitter, was that after simmons ran the 4.37, he was brought up to Bielemas office to talk directly to him. He was not brought up there by bielema, but by pitman. Why was Bielema in his office while the camp was going on? Laziness.

#10

Pro tip to prospective recruits if Bert lands another HC gig. Where this to camp if you want to get noticed!

image
A92C8AFB-4008-4C1D-B8C7-952BABE6231C.png624×624 107 KB

#11

Simmons Impresses At Arkansas Camp

VIP ByDudley E. Dawson Jun 22, 2015

In what was an[Arkansas Advanced Football Camp that was littered with high-quality secondary prospects, perhaps no one stood out more both physically and in drills last Saturday than Olathe, Kan., North senior safety Isaiah-Simmons.

Simmons (6-3, 207), a four-star prospect per Scout.com who already has 11 offers, put down a blistering 4.37 in the 40-yard dash and also was a standout in the 7-on-7 work.

He certainly impressed the Razorback coaches and was told they would be in touch with him soon about an offer.

“Currently I don’t have an offer from them, but if they were to offer I’d say they would be pretty high up on the list,” Simmons said.

Simmons, whose brother and linebacker Victor Simmons just finished up his playing career, was making his first visit to Arkansas.

“I like it a lot,” Simmons said. “Great facilities, great coaches. Everything seems pretty nice.

“My testing was pretty good. I could have done a little better outside in the 7-on-7. There is always room for improvement.”

Simmons has offers from Arizona State, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska.

He is also getting interest from Arkansas and Oklahoma State, both of whom he has recently visited.

Simmons said there will be a few factors that will go into his decision.

[“I’m looking at the academic program and my playing style and just really make sure I fit into the school,” Simmons said.

#12

I thought they should have offered him that day. He was big, fast and you could have found his position later.

But FYI, Bielema was always at camps. The best prospects always went up after the camp.

I am in now way defending him, just pointing out the procedure.

And I know that you would like to blame it on his drinking, but as I have said many times, it was about him not hiring quality assistants to replace quality assistants in my opinion.

#13

Previous coaches would have been all over Cole Mabry (ND) and Luk Bequette (Cal). Both are legacies of great Hogs.

Harold Horton’s grandson would be a productive walk on here rather than MO.

JFB would have made sure if it.

#14

I’ve never said his drinking was the number 1 problem. Some have, I just say his number one problem was he was too stupid. He absolutely couldn’t hire coaches, agree. But he couldn’t evaluate, develop, or do anything well to be honest. The only thing he was good at was drinking apparently.

If you can’t find room for a guy who is 6’4 200 running a 4.37… there’s a problem. That’s just insane. Especially looking at some of the safetie/OLBers we took in that class.

#15

The reason he could not hire quality assistants was in large part due to the word getting out that his drinking/social life was getting in the way of doing his job.

I know for a fact, after he left for Georgia, that Pittman told a former college coach from this state that Bielema was “ a wreck” and would be gone within two years.

People don’t want to work for a sinking ship captained by a failing captain.

#16

You have made clear numerous times how you feel.

So have I.

Neither one of us is going to change each other’s mind and that’s fine.

#17

So are you saying you 1) don’t think Pittman said that, 2) If he did say it, it wasn’t true, 3) assuming he did say it it had no bearing on his ability to hire quality assistants?

#18

Didn’t say any of those things. I said…I did not think his drinking was the main reason that Arkansas went down. I don’t know how I can make that any clearer. If you want to proclaim yourself the expert on this, that’s fine.

I am not one of those guys that tries to act like he knows everything or that he is the smartest man in the room. I’m not. I am also naturally skeptical of anything I am told and did not see unless I have a long body of work of trust with that person.

#19

To be clear, Barrett Bannister was offered the opportunity to walk on at Arkansas. But the Horton family has been upset since CBB arrived and chose not to keep Tim Horton. I think that was a mistake on CBB’s part.

When Taylor Powell switched from Wake Forrest to Missouri and Missouri than landed Akial Byers, Barrrett was heading there with them.

Luc Bequette should have been a Razorback, but they botched that one as well.

#20

I have no idea how much his drinking had to do with his failure. Maybe a lot, maybe a little. I just don’t know. However, it’s pretty clear now he failed in many fundamental ways. Losing these recruits or failing to properly evaluate them has cost us. I think we’ve reversed the problem now, but it’s obvious we have a long way to go to get back to where we were. Much farther to get to where we want to be.