Why Auburn is in heavy pursuit of Arkansas LB Wyatt Simmons
Wyatt Simmons, a 3-star linebacker from Searcy (Ark.) Harding Academy, is a new name to track for Auburn fans. He will be on an official visit to Auburn toward the end of the week. He is easily the fastest rising recruit in the country right now.
Besides his quick rise, why is Auburn prioritizing Simmons when it has a strong pool of linebacker candidates on its board?
Well, he’s really good, and here is the “proof of concept.” Simmons is the inside backer wearing No. 10 in all clips.
One-man wrecking crew
Simmons is fast and physical, but he is seeking contact on every snap that he plays. The good news? He’s built for it at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds.
In the clip above, Simmons flies to the perimeter run from his inside backer spot. He’s the first one there to meet the lead blocker, and lights him up. Usually, the idea is that the first backer to arrive collisions the lead blocker and the next backer cleans up the ball carrier.
In this case, Simmons takes care of both responsibilities. As a backer, if you do not have a clear path to the ball carrier, make one.
Speed in pursuit
Have you ever heard the term, “full-tilt?” Simmons displays this term in his film. He leans forward when he’s running, but moreso, he is on a beeline when getting after ball carriers.
The clip above is a great example of that full-tilt pursuit that Simmons often gives. He sees that it’s a speed option play and quickly re-directs to the ball when it is pitched. The idea here is to get outside of the linebackers’ pursuit with the speed option pitch.
Not going to work against Simmons most of the time.
Simmons is one of the few linebackers I have seen that consistently takes away anything to the perimeter. What’s even more impressive, he’s doing so from inside the box. That is the true definition of playing sideline to sideline.
Most of this ability is due to instinct, but his speed is pretty good as well. When he locks on to a ball carrier, he will get there in time. The clip above shows Simmons moving at a different speed than everyone else on the field.
Agility + relentless pursuit
I played for a defensive coach in high school that wanted the linebackers to be like Jason Voorhies from Friday the Thirteenth: the pursuit never ends–relentless.
Simmons is that kind of backer. Without the proper athleticism, however, it would not matter. Once again, good news for Simmons, he’s even got some agility from the linebacker spot.
The clip above is the most impressive on his highlights. He strings out the play as he is spying the quarterback. The QB quickly changes direction, and so does Simmons, who becomes a blur in the process of tracking down the QB before he gets loose.
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