Missouri football: 4-star linebacker Xavier Simmons flips for Tigers

In what has become a tradition of sorts, Missouri football fans got a pleasant surprise when head coach Eliah Drinkwitz posted one of his signature commitment tweets.

Less than an hour later, the identity of the new Tiger was revealed: 4-star linebacker Xavier Simmons, who flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech.

https://twitter.com/Xmansimmons/status/1426621188030312455?s=20

Simmons, who comes to Missouri via Greensboro, North Carolina, is ranked in the Top 40 nationwide in his position by 247Sports. He also held offers from Coastal Carolina and Duke.

Simmons joins a stacked class, ranked 23rd in the nation and 7th in the SEC by 247Sports, including 4-stars Sam Horn, Deshawn Woods and Tavorus Jones. Simmons provides further dept to the Tiger secondary, joining Devin Nicholson and Jamie Pettway.

The flip is another feather in the cap of Eliah Drinkwitz, who continues to use recruiting success to build hype around Missouri football. Not only that, Simmons’ flip is further evidence that Missouri is a school that recruits want to go to.

Simmons has a knack for reading plays and getting into the backfield. He can serve as a strong run stopper, and put pressure on the quarterback.

If Simmons can shut down the run game, and force teams to be one-dimensional, then that will be a serious asset for the Tigers.

The Class of 2022 has already formed into a great one, and it will be exciting to see if Drinkwitz can add to it by the end of the summer, and throughout the season. With top-rated prospects like Sam Horn and Ja’marion Wayne, the future looks bright.

Drinkwitz is finding success in recruiting both inside and outside the state. Along with Simmons, the Tigers recently earned the commitment of 4-star defensive linemen Marquis Gracial.

Gracial comes to Columbia from St Charles, Missouri, evidence that Drinkwitz is living up to his goal of ‘locking down the borders.’

https://twitter.com/gracial_marquis/status/1424832134313922565?s=20