2022 Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 100 Days (Emery Simmons)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Welcome to the 2022 edition of the Hoosier Huddle Countdown! We are now officially underway as we countdown from 100 to the beginning of the 2022 Indiana University football season. Each day, we will take a look at one (or two) players on the current roster and highlight the players role in the upcoming season. Today, we take a look at Dasan McCullough and Emery Simmons. Both of these players wear “0” but the site will be quite busy on the opening day of the season covering a massive contest against Illinois. Thus, Simmons and McCullough begin the countdown!

Name: Emery Simmons

Hometown: Parkton, North Carolina (transfer from University of North Carolina)

Position: Wide Receiver

Year: Senior

Height/Weight: 6’1”/187 pounds

Twitter: (@Zipsimmons) Instagram: (@zip_simmons)

The first of many incoming transfers that will be featured in this countdown, Emery Simmons arrives in Bloomington after a three-year stint in Chapel Hill as a Tar Heel. Simmons was recruited by Indiana as a high school player out of South View High School and he actually committed to IU but ultimately chose to stay at home and play for the University of North Carolina. He had four catches for 72 yards with a touchdown as a true freshman in 2019, 15 catches for 201 yards and one touchdown in 2020 and then 11 receptions for 243 yards in eight games in 2021. His best game was probably a 110 yard performance in an early-season game at Georgia Tech last season.

Ultimately, Simmons started 14 games for UNC but he was never a primary option for the Tar Heels and filled a more supporting role. There’s nothing wrong with that as he was playing alongside and behind legitimate NFL talent and some really good running backs that caught passes as well. He’s capable of playing in the slot but I’m fairly confident his primary role is going to be on the outside as a vertical threat. D.J. Matthews, as long as he is healthy, is locked into one of the starting spots but what happens beyond that is anyone’s guess in this revamped wideout room. Javon Swinton, Malachi Holt-Bennett, Jaquez Smith and David Baker all return and Cam Camper is an exciting JUCO transfer that flashed to coaches in the spring. Kamryn Perry is a slot receiver that will be a true freshman, Jaylin Lucas is a true freshman that will play some running back and possibly line up some at wideout and Andison Coby is a late arriving transfer. In short, there’s a whole lot of new faces and young players that will be gunning for snaps but Simmons should be in the thick of the rotation on the outside. “I’m loving every minute of it,” Simmons said of finding his way to IU. “I only had two more years of eligibility and I want to make the best of them. I felt Indiana was the place to do it.”

The countdown continues with a new profile each and every day so come back to hoosierhuddle.com daily!