Derrick Simmons on His Offer from Michigan State

Coach Jonathan Smith and his coaching staff have prioritized rebuilding their offensive and defensive lines this offseason. Michigan State has continued to offer linemen scholarships on the recruiting trail and the transfer portal. They recently offered a scholarship to defensive lineman Derrick Simmons. He credits Defensive Coordinator Joe Rossi with first noticing him and then reaching out.

“Coach Rossi saw me workout, and he sent the videos to [MSU Defensive Line] Coach [Legi] Suiaunoa,” Simmons said. “Based on what they saw in the video, that is how the offer came about. A lot of it was based off of my general athleticism and my size for that athleticism. Also, from what I have been told, my academics and work ethic just back that up.”

Simmons visited East Lansing earlier this offseason and liked what he saw.

“I found it very exciting,” Simmons said. “Not only is it conveniently close, but when I visited for spring practice, I talked with them and viewed how they run their defense. I really enjoyed their defensive scheme for defensive linemen specifically. I enjoy the scheme, and it is a great location for me, so it is a nice place. The facilities that I saw were beautiful. We went in the locker room, it was very nice. Everything was very nice and updated. It is beautiful.”

Projecting as a defensive tackle at the college level, Simmons enjoys the new Spartan defensive scheme, which allows the tackles to play aggressively and get into the backfield.

“I find that their scheme is set up to make plays,” Simmons said. “It is not a gap scheme but more of an attacking scheme. It is a good fit, not necessarily just the freedom but the destructiveness of it all, to express my talents on the field and not just play the gap. I find that very appealing.”

According to On3 Sports, Simmons believes there's a chance he can set up an official visit with MSU later this summer.

“Michigan State is definitely up there as a school that I would like to potentially set up an official visit to,” Simmons said. “I saw a bit of the football facilities, but I didn’t really get to see much of the campus or the academics side of things. I would like to view that some more. If I am going to live there for four to five years, I want to appreciate where I am at, to see if it is in the cards, based off of everything they can provide for me and comparing it to other schools.

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