Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Antjuan Simmons.
With Ann Arbor Pioneer four-star linebacker Antjuan Simmons recently reopening his recruitment after a long pledge to Ohio State, the same schools that were disappointed when he picked the Buckeyes now are back in line for his final pledge.
Notre Dame, led by defensive line coach and Detroit native Keith Gilmore, likely is up against Michigan State and wide receivers coach Terry Samuel for the lead spot.
Michigan, which plays across the street from Simmons’ school, is not a factor and is not being considered at this point.
Simmons will officially visit Arizona this upcoming weekend, thanks to efforts of former Michigan director of player personnel Chris Singletary, among others. But the Wildcats are not believed to be a serious contender for his services.
Simmons has refused to go on the record to explain his decision to decommit from Ohio State, although the timing was interesting. Kennedale, Texas, five-star linebacker Baron Browning pledged to the Buckeyes about 24 hours later.
Both the Irish and Spartans are in need of a linebacker in the 2017 class. Notre Dame recently lost four-star linebacker Pete Werner.
The 247Sports Crystal Ball is heavily in favor of the Irish, which Simmons is expected to officially visit sometime this month. He took his official visit to East Lansing in November, and the MSU staff is pushing for him to come back up unofficially, preferably with his mother, before he decides.
Current forecast: Notre Dame
Sources around the Notre Dame program are confident that Simmons eventually will choose the Irish. He was one of the top targets on their board when he committed to OSU, and most thought that he was going to choose the Irish at that point.
Michigan State cannot be counted out, however. The Spartans were the first program to begin recruiting Simmons two years ago. Their staff is hoping to make a big splash to finish out the 2017 cycle, and will be throwing the kitchen sink at Simmons.
Recruiting: Michigan State offers D.C. defensive tackle for 2018
Steve Lorenz is the editor and publisher of Wolverine247 of the 247Sports Network. You can follow him on Twitter @TremendousUM and sign up for our FREE newsletter today!