Four-star RB impressed by UCLA
T.J. Simmons has spent a few days on the UCLA campus and the four-star running back has definitely enjoyed his experience.
Whether it's enough for the Lakeland (Fla.) Lakeland Christian School standout to commit to the Bruins is undetermined but UCLA is a major player in his recruitment.
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"It's a lot different," Simmons said. "It's a great atmosphere and it's a lot different than Florida. There are a lot of great people. I've gotten to talk to the coaches and that has been really cool.
"There are a lot of great players from all over the country that came out here to compete and have fun."
During his visit to Westwood, Simmons has spent a lot of time familiarizing himself with the UCLA coaching staff and talking to coach Jim Mora.
The four-star who's rated as the No. 21 running back in the 2015 class by Rivals.com said everything at UCLA has made an impression on him and the Bruins have to be considered one of the frontrunners along with Ohio State, Florida and LSU.
Notre Dame was considered one of the top four and while Simmons said the Irish are still in the mix he doesn't have them that high any longer.
"(Mora) mainly talks to me about the main part of the education system," Simmons said. "Getting a degree from UCLA would be probably one of the best degrees from all around the country.
"They have a lot of things to offer. They have the school and also the football program. He's a new coach coming in and I feel like I could come in and make an impact.
"It's all based on how you feel there when you arrive. You want to get a chance to be there and see the atmosphere and see the coaches and really feel at home. That's really the big thing for me is I want to feel like I'm at home."
A good sign for UCLA has to be that Simmons is strongly considering a commitment to some school soon. That could mean the Bruins have a great shot at his pledge but the four-star also said he might want to go home and discuss things with his parents before picking a school.
"If it's not this week it should be a couple weeks from now and I want to come back here for an official visit," Simmons said. "I could decide. I want to talk it over with my parents and take some more time to think about it."