Josh Simmons’ time at Ohio State has come to an end.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buckeyes’ left tackle is leaving the Ohio State program to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Josh will be fully cleared for practice by the start of NFL training camp and he will be a high first-round pick,” Simmons’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told the ESPN NFL insider.
A three-star prospect coming out of Helix High School in La Mesa, California, Simmons began is college career at San Diego State. Following two seasons with the Aztecs, he transferred to Ohio State, where he served as the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle for all 13 games during the 2023 season.
Simmons’ 2024 campaign got off to a strong start as the 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman established himself as a first-round prospect. His season, however, came to an abrupt end after he suffered a torn ACL in Ohio State’s loss to Oregon on Oct. 12.
Despite the injury, Simmons still projects as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to The 33rd Team, he ranks as the No. 22 overall prospect in his class.
Following the news of Simmons’ decision to forego his remaining year of eligibility in Columbus to enter the NFL Draft, many took to social media to weigh in.
really improved over his 2 years, great player https://t.co/qRaB77dUp4
— ryan day #1 hater (@yungtaxevader) December 4, 2024
#Buckeyes OL was having a tremendous season before the knee injury against Oregon https://t.co/rgXMhiUPns
— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) December 4, 2024
Big news here from @AdamSchefter. Star Ohio State LT is off to the NFL Draft. https://t.co/IOeM8fWbsO
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 4, 2024
Career arc for Simmons was awesome. Hope he still lands in the first round https://t.co/P4HWAafA9A
— Anthony Talanca (@atalanca) December 4, 2024
If fully healed and can stay healthy this guy should have a great NFL career. Raw talent. https://t.co/eoLMEONOGn
— John Easthope (@vintagejohnny84) December 4, 2024
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.