Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day defensive tackle Terry Simmons Jr. received a special birthday present earlier this month when UCF officially made their offer. He visited UCF for the first time on Tuesday to see the Knights' kick off spring drills.
He was there with his teammate, linebacker Troy Ford Jr., also a top UCF target.
"I got there early and was able to sit through meetings and watch film with the team," Simmons said. "I then met up with Troy at practice around 9. I actually had a facilities tour pretty early, around 7:30. They have great facilities. They were showing me the stuff they're putting in and renovating for the future. It's going to be something special."
Simmons basically shadowed the team as if he was a college player already.
"I went to two meetings, the whole defensive meeting and the d-tackles meeting," Simmons said. "It was good. It gave me a look at how college players prepare each day for practice. It was very detailed. You have to be paying attention."
He also watched his first college practice.
"I liked it," Simmons said. "I like the intensity they brought, especially on the first day. I was watching the drills they do. I watched how Coach (Kenny) Martin coaches. He wasn't just with the d-line. He was with the linebackers and DBs working on tackling drills. All their coaches have a part in the team. It doesn't matter if you coach the d-tackles. You work with everybody. They have a real family type of team going on."
Simmons already feels a close bond with Coach Martin, who is also his recruiter.
"I didn't realize he was so young," Simmons said. "I like him a lot. He's a real cool dude. I feel I can relate to him a lot. He's real down to earth. He really gets the players. Maybe it's because of his age, but he understands what a young guy is thinking. When he talks to you, he knows how to relate and talk to you so you do your best.
What was his favorite part of the day?
"Probably the practice," Simmons said. "They had two 7-on-7 sessions and a team session and they were going at it. Lots of energy."
As a junior, Simmons recorded 67 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and four sacks.
"Coach Martin said he likes my get off and how disruptive I am," Simmons said. "As the d-tackles coach, he wants his three-techs and nose guards to be disruptive. He's going to teach us technique, but you have to be naturally disruptive on the inside. He said I bring that and that's what he's looking for."
Simmons said there's a lot to like about UCF.
"Personally for me, I like the location," he said. "I want to be an aerospace engineer. It's right by NASA. I'd have great connections if I go there. I'd be surrounded by a great, family-oriented staff. Coach G (Gus Malzahn), he's up there with Coach (Nick) Saban. He beat him three times. I know I'll be coached up. It's a combination of all those things."
Simmons plans to attend Georgia Tech's spring game on Thursday and will be in Tallahassee to check out Florida State this Saturday. He'll see Wake Forest and Duke later in the month and has an April visit lined up to Northwestern.
"I'm taking my time with my recruitment," Simmons said. "I'm taking interest in any school that offers me. The schools that reach out, I'll give them the respect to look at their opportunity."
Could Simmons and Troy Ford potentially go to the same school? They have a few mutual offers, the big one being UCF.
"We're talking about it," Simmons said. "Don't know where it's at, but we know it's definitely a possibility and we'd love to do that."
