Josh Simmons is back for his second year as Ohio State’s left tackle.
The San Diego native got the job last year despite arriving as a transfer from San Diego State after spring training. Given the lack of adjustment time, it was not surprising that Simmons, like the rest of the line, had his struggles, especially early in the season.
However, according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one sack and four quarterback hits all season. He is expected to take a big step forward after a year of experience.
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Here are three things you should know about Simmons:
They sometimes call Josh Simmons “Jimmy”
It may have been confusing last year when Ohio State coaches and teammates referred to Simmons as “Jimmy.” That was because Ohio State’s right tackle is Josh Fryar and they wanted to be able to differentiate between them.
They took the “J” from Josh and the “im” from Simmons, and that’s what he was often called.
“At first it was just an internal matter,” Simmons said. “Then it got on Twitter.”
He did not wallow
Simmons said the hardest part about coming to Ohio State was switching from the right tackle position he played at SDSU to the left side.
“You think it’s just a matter of changing your mindset, but there’s a lot more to it than that. I think toward the end (of the season) I started to figure it out.”
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He knew he had to give it his all at the beginning of the season when he was having difficulties.
“This is Ohio State,” Simmons said. “A lot of people think it’s the best program in the country. I knew I was going to get that (criticism). It was on me. I took it as, ‘Josh, you have to dig in and figure it out.'”
Simmons’ skills inspire teammates
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Simmons is not yet a fully developed talent, but OSU coaches and players are convinced he has the potential to be a dominant player.
“He’s an exceptional athlete,” said center Seth McLaughlin, who transferred from Alabama. “He’s one of the best athletes I’ve seen in my career.”
Defensive end JT Tuimoloau, a potential first-round NFL draft pick, practices against Simmons. He notices a difference in Simmons this year.
“He’s more balanced,” Tuimoloau said. “There’s a lot of great reps (between us). He challenges me athletically. I challenge him athletically. He’s got great feet and is very athletic.”
