Illinois Football: Illini back in race for Walter Simmons III
It is hard to gauge who will be the next player to sign up for the Illinois football recruiting class of 2021.
As of right now, the Illini have six high school players committed for 2021. That is a solid start to what should be, and honestly needs to be, a top 50 class. There is a ton of work left to do, though. Illinois can have a full haul of players coming in due to the fact we have so many departing players after the upcoming 2020 campaign.
Illinois has made a variety of top lists already as well. Players from all over the country have included the Illini in their recruitment. Even those who haven’t narrowed their choices down, the Illini still seem to be top-of-mind.
One of the latest recruits eyeing the Orange and Blue is Walter Simmons III. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound dual-threat quarterback currently attends Oakleaf High School and resides in Orange Park, Florida. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 899 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 27 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He is also the No. 121 player in the state of Florida.
Illinois was in the mix for Simmons back when they originally offered the kid a scholarship in July 2019. The bond between the two cooled at some point, though. But it looks like that connection has started to warm back up recently. Simmons let the Writing Illini in on where the Illini stand with the star quarterback.
“They are popping back into the race with me. I have recently been on a zoom meeting with Coach Rod Smith.”
What makes Illinois an attractive destination for the kid from the Sunshine State?
“They are back on the rise, and I could be the playmaking QB who can get Illinois back over the hump.”
Simmons has aspirations of being a quarterback who can help the Illini win games in the future. More quarterback depth is never a bad thing in Champaign either. Simmons would get his chance to shine in the Rod Smith offense.
To get the starting job in the future, Simmons is going to have to show off his talents. What would one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks bring to the Illini, though?
“I can put the ball anywhere at any time. When I step onto the field, the defense is scared when I touch the ball because they don’t know what is going to happen.”
With every great player comes the will to improve. Simmons knows what he needs to work on during his final season at Oakleaf.
“Working on a better deep ball. I have faster receivers, so I have been working on timing with them. I also have been working on my speed and a faster release.”
Simmons looks to have a big final season at the high school level. His play on the field has a lot of programs looking at him, including Illinois. But who else is standing out?
“East Carolina and Old Dominion.”
There isn’t a decision date in mind for Simmons as of right now. The kid is still working through everything going on with Covid-19. It is a tough process with recruiting and trying to improve his game.
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Hopefully, Illinois can stay in the running for Simmons. He has a ton of talent that would work well in the Illini offense. Whoever ends up landing Simmons is getting a big-time playmaker.