Recruiting 2025 Recruiting Thread: 4* Top 100 QB Austin Simmons commits to UF

[I Have No Friends :(]

You can’t run. But he stands really tall in the pocket. And delivers even when the hit is coming.

As long as he can slide in the pocket and buy time, that's more than enough. He ran the inside zone read several times and seems proficient enough to at least keep the defense honest. That should be enough for Billy's offense. I'm more impressed with his ball placement on the quick slants and fades/corners. If he can attack the deep zone of the pass defense with accuracy, then teams are going to have to pick their poison with us; get dominated by our run game or man up with one safety over the top and dare us to beat them deep. His arm and accuracy are good enough to beat teams deep consistently. So far he is the most excited I've been about a QB recruit under BN. Lagway has accuracy issues, Simmons doesn't.

 

[aka]

As long as he can slide in the pocket and buy time, that's more than enough. He ran the inside zone read several times and seems proficient enough to at least keep the defense honest. That should be enough for Billy's offense. I'm more impressed with his ball placement on the quick slants and fades/corners. If he can attack the deep zone of the pass defense with accuracy, then teams are going to have to pick their poison with us; get dominated by our run game or man up with one safety over the top and dare us to beat them deep. His arm and accuracy are good enough to beat teams deep consistently. So far he is the most excited I've been about a QB recruit under BN. Lagway has accuracy issues, Simmons doesn't.

I was just thinking this. I like Lagway and I'm glad we have him, but this guy is different.

 

[OBG]

https://www.si.com/college/florida/...arterback-austin-simmons-commitment-interview

Good insights into his commit.

Love this:

“I spoke to DJ Lagway, he’s probably one of the coolest dudes I’ve ever met before," Simmons said. "I feel like the competition between us is going to be great. I just love competition and competing. I don’t want to just be given the starting job at UF, I don’t want to be given anything, I want to earn it. Just competing really puts an exciting feeling in me and I can go in there and just show my talent and earn it.”

 

[jdh5484]

These kids always talk about how important academics are. Yet, in 20 years of following recruiting I can count on one hand the players who were serious. This kid looks to be one of them. Impressive kid. Usually, when a kid is that focused he is a good teammate as well. My props to his parents. Great addition to gator nation.

63 of 80 scholarship football players made the SEC Academic honor roll last semester (> 3.0).

We are an ELITE institution.

Can't tackle for $hit but they know what a midline is and can graph it faster than fans can say "WTF happened to the safety?"

Thier majors are probably advanced synchronized underwater basket weaving ... but still.

 

[Sec14Gator]

Others have alluded to it, but he looks better than Lagway or Rashada on tape.

The GPA, meh, he’s home schooled and plays sports at two different HS. Hope he’s really bright but it’s hard to know.

Also, I think he could play early in 23 if he enrolls for summer school. Between the advancement of HS offenses and 7v7, QBs are ready earlier than they used to be.

 

[Mr2Bits]

This upcoming season is not going to be very good. But I still think we can eke out nine wins.

You're drunk....over under will be 5.5

 

[oxrageous]

You're drunk....over under will be 5.5

You never let up, do you? Do I have to pay for the hooker for you myself?

 

[aka]

And I believe he's 17 already.

 

[Slug]

He can’t run. But he stands really tall in the pocket. And delivers even when the hit is coming.

He's got a little wiggle

 

[jdh5484]

For those who want to see some film from his sophomore year:



The kid can drop dimes and also throw it on a rope. We got a good one.

Great footwork for a sophmore. I think he's the future star. Consistent and low risk passer. Looking forward to seeing him progress.

 

[Joegator96]

And I believe he's 17 already.

yep, seventeen and four months according to perfect game. 6'3" 190. Also, he is playing football at a Div 1A school in Pahokee not much competition there. I would love to see him on campus and RS in both football and baseball. Appears to be the real deal. Hopefully, like the last homeschooled lefty we had.

 

[NavetG8r]

He just flicks his wrist and the ball flies out and on target (at least in the highlights). He looks like a polished passer already.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

Hope he reclassifies and red shirts '23 and starts '24. That way Langway can have a red shirt year.

 

[Dunder]

Others have alluded to it, but he looks better than Lagway or Rashada on tape.

The GPA, meh, he’s home schooled and plays sports at two different HS. Hope he’s really bright but it’s hard to know.

Also, I think he could play early in 23 if he enrolls for summer school. Between the advancement of HS offenses and 7v7, QBs are ready earlier than they used to be.

A lefty QB who was home schooled?

 

[Theologator]

QB room looking good, stars follow. Man, he zips the ball.

Recruiting is absolutely different, the seeds planted over the last year are starting to bear some fruit.

Pahokee is 1A but they probably have the highest per capita of great football players of anywhere in the country.

Odd to see a 17-year old sophomore who is ready to graduate. He’s a year behind AND 2 years ahead of his class?

 

[CGgater]

Would that affect the Lagway commitment at all?

When’s the last time this was a topic of conversation? It’s nice to see our concerns are shifting from “I hope he’s a diamond in the rough” to “I hope this 5* doesn’t chase away other 5*s.”

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

There was one play on his tape that he stepped up in the pocket, bought his self a second and delivered a strike. Pretty insignificant until you can't remember Anthony doing it one time last year. Most of the other throws he had a clean pocket.

 

[Bushmaster]

The game has changed a lot from DT QBs to give me a pocket passer who can also run when he needs to.

 

[I Have No Friends :(]

There was one play on his tape that he stepped up in the pocket, bought his self a second and delivered a strike. Pretty insignificant until you can't remember Anthony doing it one time last year. Most of the other throws he had a clean pocket.

This isn't true about AR. You only have to look at the first game against Utah and the 2-point conversion play. AR can move in the pocket and buy time. His problems right now are heavily centered around footwork, which effects his accuracy, and seeing where to go with the football post-snap. A lot of people think his pre-snap reads were bad, but that's really not the case. He had the most trouble when defenses would show him one look then change it post-snap. He must get considerably better at identifying coverages and then going to the correct place with the ball, and also setting his feet correctly so the ball gets to where it needs to go. He has all the physical tools to do this, but it remains to be seen if he can put it together upstairs as well. He's young, so he has time to figure it out, but the clock is running.

 

[oxrageous]

He's young, so he has time to figure it out, but the clock is running.

He's going in the top 4 (possibly #1), so he won't be getting any time. He'll be thrown to the wolves in September.