T.J. Simmons
Position: Wide Receiver
Committed: 2/19/2015
Hometown: Pinson, AL
TDAL Star Rating: 4
Height: 6’2” Weight: 190 lbs.
Athletic Measurables:
T.J. Simmons was one of Alabama’s earlier commits and is a bit of an under the radar guy. He has good size and will likely line up outside for Coach Billy Napier. He has pretty decent speed, although his clocked times seem high, he shows very good upfield speed with the ball in his hands because of his long strides. He is also a very team-oriented kid, who beyond his on-field skills, will provide a good personality for the locker room.
Instincts & Technique:
Simmons may be rated as a 3-star player, but his play on the field says otherwise. He has a very unique skill set for a high school receiver that Nick Saban will love having in his rotation. Simmons is one of the best blocking receivers we will see, and the crazy thing is, he loves it. He has said that he enjoys blocking for his teammates just as much as making a catch. It is hard to find players like that today and Simmons does it extremely well. His physical style of play helps his blocking, but also helps him get open and use his sure hands to snag a ball. He won’t be the guy to catch it with his body, he gets the ball with both hands, whether he is going up for it or going to get it on a screen. Simmons’ style of play could prove to be beneficial for Alabama.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Strengths: Simmons’ biggest strength is his blocking skills, he boxes out defenders with good hand placement, creating room for his teammates. He also brings great physicality and play making ability with the ball.
Weaknesses: His biggest weakness would be his route-running. When watching his film, you can see that he kind of just runs sloppy versions of his routes. If he can polish his route-running, he could become a quiet, dominant force for Alabama.
Reminds Me Of:
With very similar size and skill set, T.J Simmons reminds me a lot of former Alabama wide receiver, Brandon Gibson.
CLICK HERE TO SEE T.J SIMMONS’ HIGHLIGHTS
Justin Wagner is the Lead Recruiting Analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine, Follow him on Twitter, at @jwag718 as well as Touchdown Alabama’s Recruiting Twitter @tdarecruiting.
