Simmons meets Beaty
One of the top prospects in the state of Kansas' 2016 class is Olathe North safety Isaiah Simmons, who holds an early offer from the in-state Jayhawks and recently met their new head coach.
"I went to the KU vs. Florida game a few weeks ago," Simmons said. "I know a lot about KU considering my brother went there, and I have a very good relationship with the coaches already.
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"I met the new coach, Coach (David) Beaty, and talked to him for a little bit. He is a really nice guy and made it very clear there is going to be a big change in the program."
Simmons' brother, Victor, finished his career with Kansas this past fall. The offer from the Jayhawks came well before their recent coaching change, while his brother was preparing for his final season in Lawrence.
"It was pretty cool," Simmons said of the offer. "My big brother just graduated and played four years there. He liked it at times and at times he didn't."
Whether Simmons follows in his brother's footsteps to Kansas remains to be seen. He also holds an early offer from Missouri that came through prior to his junior season.
"I'm still not really quite sure where I want to go," Simmons said. "I don't really want to worry about that as a junior. After finals and studying all this week I am going to start looking into colleges a lot more.
"I might go to the Mizzou junior day, but I'm not sure yet. It just depends on my family's schedule. I know Coach (Andy) Hill very well and he is a very nice guy."
Additional schools have been emerging in Simmons' recruitment this month, with several college coaches stopping by his high school.
"I (saw) Oregon, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri," Simmons said. "It seems like Arkansas is pretty interested in me based on how he was talking to me. Same with Texas Tech."
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Simmons played on an 11-1 Olathe North team this past fall that finished with a tough, double overtime loss in the sub-state playoffs. Playing both safety and wide receiver, Simmons finished the season with four interceptions and four touchdowns.