Throughout the off-season we are going to be taking a look at the members of Clemson’s 2016 recruiting class who redshirted last season. In this edition of the Clemson football redshirt report we will be discussing Isaiah Simmons.
Related Story: Clemson Football Redshirt Report: T.J. Chase
Isaiah Simmons (S) Olathe, Kansas:
Kansas is not a national recruiting hub, however, Clemson was able to snag two elite recruits from the Sunflower state in the 2016 recruiting class. The first being Xavier Kelly, whom we previously analyzed, the second is Isaiah Simmons. 247sports had Simmons ranked as the 16th safety prospect in the country and the 330th overall player in the country.
Best Attributes:
Isaiah Simmons’ has great length for a safety at 6’3, 215 pounds. What’s most impressive is how Simmons can move at that size. Simmons was the primary return man for his high school team, you won’t see many 6’3 kick returners, mainly because they don’t have the agility or top end speed to take it to the house.
One other impressive aspect of Simmons’ game is his closing speed. There are multiple instances of him hitting the ball carrier as soon as he catches the football. To make a play on a ball carrier in the flat from the safety position is impressive. Simmons reminds me of Travis Blanks because of his size, however, he is a more fluid athlete than Blanks.
Expectations:
Going into the 2017 season, Simmons will be in competition for the starting safety spot opposite rising junior Van Smith. This Clemson football program has exceptional depth at safety, as such I believe that Simmons’ will be apart of a rotation early on in the season. Rising sophomore K’Von Wallace will likely rotate in at safety, as well as redshirt junior, Tanner Muse.
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