Transfer Focus: Emery Simmons, Cam Camper Join Wide Receiver Room Full of Opportunity
Emery Simmons originally committed to Indiana in 2018, but when an offer from North Carolina head coach Mack Brown came in, the opportunity to stay close to his hometown in Parkton, N.C. was enough for Simmons to flip his commitment.
“Being that young, you get homesick and you have a lot of stuff going on in your mind,” Simmons said. “With what was going on at North Carolina at the time with Coach Brown, I felt like that was the best move for me.”
In three seasons as a Tar Heel, Simmons started 14 games and appeared in 30. His first career 100-yard game came last season when Simmons posted 110 yards on three catches at Georgia Tech. But as his career in Chapel Hill progressed, Simmons felt his playing time decrease, so he entered the transfer portal.
With two years of eligibility remaining, the 6-foot-1, 187-pound Simmons said he wants to make the best of his time. And with his prior relationship with Indiana head coach Tom Allen, Bloomington was the place to do so. The Simmons family has a strong sense of faith, which made for an immediate connection with Allen.
“I just felt like, 'don't even waste any time, you already know the head man and you have a relationship with the place already, so why not?'” Simmons said. “I am loving every bit of it.”
Adam Henry is the new wide receivers coach, a man Simmons said you have no choice but to have respect for. Since arriving at Indiana, Simmons said Henry comes in every day with great energy. He said Henry hates any negative talk and always wants to speak positivity into people. And with Henry’s prior background with the Dallas Cowboys, Simmons has made sure to stay close by.
“I’m taking nuggets from him everyday just trying to piece those nuggets together,” Simmons said. “I know in the long run, the end goal is to go where he just came from. I know that’s the man that has all the tools. He’s been there, he’s lived it, and why not go to him?”
Simmons has dreams of playing in the NFL, which is why he tries to carry himself like a professional on and off the field. Simmons said he comes in early to go over the playbook or watch extra film, and off the field, he’s a laid back guy. When he doesn’t have his head in the playbook, Simmons is most likely with his dog Rocco, an XL American Bully.
“I really don't talk a lot,” Simmons said. But when I do talk, I feel like it is heard. A hard worker that likes to keep his nose down and work.”
Joining Simmons as a transfer in the wide receiver room is Cam Camper, a native of Lancaster, Texas. He comes to Indiana after two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. Across two years, Camper hauled in 50 receptions for 858 yards and four touchdowns.
Camper said he took the junior college route because he was undersized and experienced a late growth spurt. He now stands at 6-foot-2, 201-pounds and said he wants to be able to make plays for Indiana in 2022. Camper has always felt like an underdog, which has instilled a mindset of always taking extra steps to be successful.
“That is how I was brought up,” Camper said. “You just have to get it.”
Simmons and Camper enter a wide receiver room in Bloomington that has experienced serious change within the last six months. Ty Fryfogle signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys, and Indiana’s second-leading wideout from 2021, Miles Marshall, transferred to Miami (OH).
Simmons said because of the personnel and coaching changes, everybody is now in the same boat. Even the receivers who played for Indiana last year are learning a new offense. Simmons said it's a familiar scheme to the offense he played in at North Carolina, but everyone is starting from scratch and helping each other learn together.
“The best way I could tell you is when you’ve got a set route or whatever,” Simmons said. “If you see grass, run to it.”
Related stories to Indiana football:
- MCFADDEN DRAFTED BY GIANTS: Micah McFadden comes off the board in the fifth round as the New York Giants select the Indiana linebacker with the 146th overall pick. McFadden led Indiana in tackles in each of the last three seasons. CLICK HERE
- MICAH MCFADDEN NFL DRAFT PROFILE: The NFL Draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, and a Hoosier that could hear his named called is two-year captain and middle linebacker Micah McFadden, who led Indiana in tackles for three consecutive seasons. CLICK HERE
- PEYTON HENDERSHOT NFL DRAFT PROFILE: Peyton Hendershot set the Indiana tight end record for receptions and yards last season, and he'll now pursue a professional career with the NFL Draft beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. CLICK HERE
