Cedrick Simmons grew up rooting for the Alabama Crimson Tide. From Selma, Alabama, that just made sense.
The Auburn Tigers are right there as well, though, and the Alabama vs. Auburn rivalry is well known as one of the greatest in sports. The Iron Bowl may be the most intense rivalry in college football outside of “The Game” between the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes.
That’s what made it interesting when Simmons, a three-star wide receiver, committed to Auburn on June 23.
He held an offer from Alabama in hand, but committed to the Tigers over the Tide and Purdue Boilermakers.
Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that Simmons has already flipped his commitment. Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide didn’t let up once the three-star committed to Auburn, and that recruiting attention has wound up with Simmons flipping to the program he grew up loving.
“Being able to play and show out on the same team I rooted for all my life,” Simmons told Rivals when asked the reason for his flip.
More specifically, it was that DeBoer and Alabama wide receivers coach Derrick Nix kept recruiting Simmons even though he was technically “off the board” and committed to Auburn.
It all played into the flip.
“They continued to recruit me, things really didn’t change with us after I committed,” he explained. “Playing opportunity, Being developed by the best, and me fitting the culture. The expectations, standards they’re held there.”
