Syracuse Lands DB Transfer Jason Simmons
Syracuse has landed one of the top defensive backs in the NCAA transfer portal. New Mexico State defensive back transfer Jason Simmons has picked Syracuse as his new landing spot over offers from Colorado, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Purdue, TCU and others. Simmons has three years of eligibility remaining.
Simmons is listed at 6-0, 193 pounds on the New Mexico State Athletics website. He started eight games at safety, where he will likely end up at Syracuse, during his true freshman season in 2019, recording 62 tackles (sixth most on the team), 4.5 tackles for loss (fifth most on the team), broke up three passes and forced a fumble. He did not play in 2020 as New Mexico State opted out of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Simmons’s dad, Jason Simmons Sr. played college football at Arizona State and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Houston Texans from 2002 to 2007. Simmons Sr. is currently the secondary coach for the Carolina Panthers. He spent the previous nine seasons on the Green Bay Packers’ staff.
Syracuse has a need at defensive back. The Orange is losing three starters from last year’s squad in Andre Cisco, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Trill Williams, each of whom declared for the 2021 NFL Draft during or after this past season. While true freshmen filled in last season, Syracuse needed to add depth, experience and someone who can compete for a starting job. Simmons checks all of those boxes.
In high school, Simmons starred at Lancaster High School in Texas.