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Florida wins four-star with commitment from Pahokee QB Austin Simmons

emilee smarr, palm beach post
·2 min read

Four-star quarterback Austin Simmons' journey has only just begun but the Pahokee sophomore has already found a home at the next level in the University of Florida.

In the months after forging a second trip to the Class 1R region finals, Simmons mastered the towel tease in practice, flashing logos for the Gators and Florida State Seminoles.

In 2022, Simmons had a 68 percent completion rate (163-of-242) and threw for 24 touchdowns and rushed for three, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Considering he threw 3,141 yards to tie Hall of Fame candidate Anquan Boldin for the most passing yards in a season at Pahokee, the hype surrounding Simmons has been warranted.

Coach Billy Napier's quarterback room with receive a 6-foot-3, 202 pound, lefty − the No. 3 ranked pro-style passer in the nation. Not to mention quite the scholar.

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Pahokee quarterback Austin Simmons (13) throws the ball during warmups prior to the start of the football game between Pahokee and host Palm Beach Central on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Wellington, FL. Final score, Pahokee, 34, Palm Beach Central, 14.
Pahokee quarterback Austin Simmons (13) throws the ball during warmups prior to the start of the football game between Pahokee and host Palm Beach Central on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Wellington, FL. Final score, Pahokee, 34, Palm Beach Central, 14.

Simmons reportedly completed all of his required high school credits as a freshman and has been taking college classes.

He's mounted a current GPA of 5.34 and a collection of 28 offers − all while managing a life on the mound as a pitcher, talented enough for an invite to the MLB Breakthrough Series and a baseball offer to Georgia Tech.

Florida won Simmons over schools including Central Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Ole Miss, Pitt, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and more. He rose on the radar for a number of Power 5 programs as a freshman, when he completed 66 percent of passes for 1,684 yards in just six games after an early season suspension.

Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pahokee QB Austin Simmons commits to Florida Gators