Lamont Simmons plans to visit Minnesota for the Iowa game.
Lamont Simmons, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Jacksonville (FL) Raines, has plenty of high major offers and is hoping to make a trip to Minnesota. Simmons attended camps at Miami and Florida State and Dawg Night at Georgia. Gopher Hole caught up with Simmons Sunday to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your football recruitment right now?
Lamont Simmons: The most recent offer was from Purdue. Right now, I have 21 offers. (Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Auburn, East Carolina, Florida International, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, Western Michigan and Wisconsin are among the schools that have offered Simmons)
Gopher Hole: You have to be pretty proud of that?
Lamont Simmons: Yes, sir.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you hearing from the most?
Lamont Simmons: Probably Iowa State, Georgia Tech. Minnesota sends a lot of mail and Arkansas.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about trying to narrow that list down and making some visits?
Lamont Simmons: I haven’t really narrowed the list down, but I plan on visiting Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: When are you going to do that?
Lamont Simmons: I was probably going to check out a game on my bye week, the fifth week of the season. (Minnesota plays Iowa for homecoming on September 28th).
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota?
Lamont Simmons: Right now, I have contacted the coach on Facebook and basically we just talked about getting me up there for a visit. I told him that I would have to get back with my head coach before I set anything up.
Gopher Hole: Do you have any visits set up yet?
Lamont Simmons: No, sir. Only Minnesota right now.
Gopher Hole: How did Minnesota find out about you?
Lamont Simmons: I think from my 7-on-7 coach. He spread the word about me and I guess the Minnesota coach got interested.
Gopher Hole: Coach Brian Anderson is recruiting you for Minnesota. What has your relationship with him been like?
Lamont Simmons: It is pretty good. He hits me up on Facebook a couple of times. Most recently, we were just talking about that visit.
Gopher Hole: Have you meet him in person? Has he been down to the school?
Lamont Simmons: He visited my school.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a player?
Lamont Simmons: I have a great jab and I am able to break pressure. I am a great cover guy who wants to come down and make that tackle.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Lamont Simmons: Just working on my hips.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about a possible college major?
Lamont Simmons: Yes, sir. I want to major something in engineering.
Gopher Hole: Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet?
Lamont Simmons: Yes, sir. I had a 19 on the ACT.
Gopher Hole: What is your GPA?
Lamont Simmons: The last time, I check it was a 3.1.
Gopher Hole: Do you come from an athletic family?
Lamont Simmons: My mom ran track in high school.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for your high school team this season?
Lamont Simmons: I think that we will go undefeated and win state.
Gopher Hole: What was your record last season?
Lamont Simmons: I didn’t play for the school last year. I just transferred in from Robert E. Lee High School.
Gopher Hole: What is going to be the main thing that is going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Lamont Simmons: Just the relationship with the coaches and facilities and things like that
Gopher Hole: Has you seen much about the Minnesota facilities yet?
Lamont Simmons: Yes, sir, I did. He sends me things in the mail about the facilities all the time.
Gopher Hole: What did you think of the facilities because they have a new stadium and one of the biggest locker rooms in the country?
Lamont Simmons: Yes, sir. In the mail, I get pictures of that all the time and it seems pretty nice, but, hopefully, when I take that visit, I can finally get to see all the things in the pictures.
Gopher Hole: Have you ever been to Minnesota in your whole life?
Lamont Simmons: No, sir.
Gopher Hole: What do you know about the program?
Lamont Simmons: I know that it is a pretty good program. I know that they had a kid (Gary Tinsley) from First Coast. He went up there, but he died. I know that they are recruiting Florida guys. I am not afraid to go up North.
Gopher Hole: Do you play any other sports or are you just football-only these days?
Lamont Simmons: Football has really consumed my life, but I am probably going to try to run track this year since I am done with 7-on-7 football.
Gopher Hole: What events are you planning on running? Sprints or have you thought that far?
Lamont Simmons: I haven’t even thought that far.
Gopher Hole: Are you one of the captains of the team or do you see yourself as a leader on the team?
Lamont Simmons: It is my first year there, so I am not a captain, but I see myself as a leader on the DB group. I have a lot of respect on the team being that I am a senior. I do get a lot of respect as a leader.