Pitt, ECU offer Florida RB/DB

Top prospects seem to emerge on a daily basis in a state like Florida. Add Damian Sims of Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton to that growing list.

“I’m the new coach and I’ve only been here for a short time,” said Pope’s Kevin Hart, “but I know there’s a great deal of recruiting interest in Damian Sims. He has offers from Pitt and East Carolina that I know of, and I think there are two or three others.

“He’s getting a lot of interest from Miami, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Memphis, N.C. State, South Florida, Georgia… Those are just some of the ones I’ve got letters from on my desk right now.”

Hart described Sims (5-9, 185, 4.5) as a versatile player who could project on either side of the ball. He plays running back and cornerback for Pope. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,700 yards.

“The first thing that jumps out at you is his speed and elusiveness,” he said. “He’s got great hands, too. On defense, he can cover real well. I’ve only seen him in five practices this spring and a little on film, but I have some contacts the University of Miami, and one of their coaches told me he had the best feet of any kid at their Nike camp.

“I think he’s going to have a ton of options before it’s all said and done.”