Harding Academy linebacker Wyatt Simmons emerged onto the recruiting scene quickly in May, and he’s now one of the best in-state commits in the class of 2024 for the Razorbacks.
After posting his highlight video, he picked up offers from Oklahoma, Florida State, Auburn and others all in a span of 24 hours.
The Hogs followed quickly, offering on May 11, and Simmons announced on Saturday he will be joining the Razorbacks in the upcoming class.
Simmons joined the show "Out of Bounds" with John Nabors on 103.7 The Buzz on Tuesday about why he chose Arkansas.
“I want to represent the state,” Simmons said. “I love Coach Pittman, Coach Williams. They’re great guys, great to be around. Men of faith. That was huge for me. The culture seemed great, loved the culture. And I can go home if I need to. Three hours from where I live. That was a huge factor in it. I love my family and want to be able to see them sometimes.”
Last season for Harding Academy in Searcy, Simmons tallied 84 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss and six sacks. He also intercepted one pass and recovered two fumbles. Physicality, he said, is one of his strong suits.
"I just love being on the field and being able to really hit somebody," Simmons said. "It’s a whole different feeling from any other sport that I’ve been involved in. And it’s just special to me."
Simmons said he has a great feel for the game, plus he likes to hit people.
"I’m not scared of contact," Simmons said. "So I don’t slow down and I’m able to make a lot of plays that would be harder to make if you were worried about blockers and contact. But that’s kind of one of my other strengths."
The recruitment process was made easier because of Simmons' father, Paul, who is the head football coach at Harding University. Wyatt said his family was a huge help during his recruitment.
"My dad guided me through it," Simmons said. "I would've had no clue what to do, where to go and who to talk to. He’s a football coach, he’s at Harding University. And so he’s been in this world for 17 years. And he just kind of shows me where I need to go, what I need to do so I can figure it out myself. But my whole family has been awesome and supported me. Have loved me the whole way, and I really appreciate them for that."
Simmons is the fifth in-state recruit in the class of 2024, and is currently ranked the No. 6 player in the state according to Rivals. But his play on the field isn't how he wants to be remembered.
"I really want to be remembered as Wyatt Simmons, the guy who treated people really, really well, and he played football," Simmons said. "I don’t want to be the football player who also did these things, because my faith is what matters in my life. That’s what I want to be known for. I want that to be something that’s shown through me, instead of me doing something that glorifies that. And I definitely want to be remembered as someone who treated people really, really well."
