Tyler Simmons planning official visit schedule after NC State offer
Tyler Simmons is one of the most recent defensive linemen to receive an offer from NC State. The class of 2024 prospect picked up a wave of power-five interest during the spring evaluation period, and he is now considering the Wolfpack after the program visited his school twice.
NC State officially offered May 15 but had been communicating with the Windermere (Fla.) Prep star for about a month. He is a UNC legacy recruit, and his family is from North Carolina, so he knows the area well and has genuine interest in the Pack.
Simmons is the son of Brian Simmons, a former All-American for the Tar Heels. With that said, he is absolutely interested in learning more about NC State thanks to a strong early bond with defensive line coach Charley Wiles.
“I love the state of North Carolina, and I love my relationship with coach Wiles so far,” Simmons said. “We know a lot about the area of North Carolina, and I know North Carolina State is a great school for football and a good academic school as well. It would be a great opportunity to have the chance to play at North Carolina State.”
Wiles stopped by Windermere towards the beginning of the evaluation period earlier this spring and started reaching out to Simmons after that. The Wolfpack assistant then returned to the school to evaluate the lineman and then extended the offer.
Through those initial conversations, Simmons said he already holds an extremely positive impression of his potential future position coach.
“He seems like a really cool dude,” Simmons said. “I like his personality and the energy that we have over the phone. Whether he’s talking about football or just personal things, I really enjoyed talking to him.”
That bond has helped NC State quickly become one of the contending schools in his recruitment. Miami, South Carolina, UVA, Kansas, Stanford, Northwestern and the Wolfpack are all reaching out consistently
Simmons has two official visits set— one to Northwestern June 2-4 and another to Stanford June 23-25. Academics are a huge factor in his decision-making process. The Wildcats lead his Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) at 55 percent.
“I want to get the best of both worlds,” Simmons said. “I want to play power-five football and get a high education at the same time. That’s a great opportunity”
NC State is one of the schools still in contention to receive a June official visit. He plans on scheduling a couple more trips this summer and hopes to make it to Raleigh at some point.
“I don’t know if I’m going to go up to NC State as an official or unofficial visit, but I’m definitely going to get on campus at some point,” Simmons said.
During his upcoming trips, the lineman said he wants to learn more about how he would fit into each program on and off the field. At 6-4, 260 pounds, Simmons said he can play in pretty much any defensive scheme, including the Wolfpack’s three-man front.
The class of 2024 prospect said he will likely have his decision made by the beginning of his senior year. Relationships, above all else, will help separate schools in his recruitment.
“People make the place, I believe,” Simmons said. “If I build a relationship with a head coach, d-line coach, defensive coordinator, and I start to feel really comfortable with them, then I will start to lean more towards the school.”
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