2025 4-star QB Austin Simmons commits to Florida: 'It's really the dream of a lifetime'

Last month, Pahokee (Fla.) four-star quarterback Austin Simmons made two visits to Florida in 14 days. On his first trip, he watched practice, did a photo shoot and met with head coach Billy Napier and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara.

Simmons toured the Gators’ campus and learned more about Florida’s sports medicine program on his next visit. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound signal-caller left Gainesville both times feeling good.

Last week, Simmons — a talented football and baseball player — told his parents he wanted to commit to Florida to play both sports. On Tuesday, he made that news officially, choosing the Gators over Louisville, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.

“After those two visits when I went to Florida, it felt like it was home,” Simmons told On3. “I felt like, I might as well commit right now and lock in my spot.”

Simmons plans to return to the Gators on April 13 for the Orange and Blue Game. He has a long time until his high school graduation, but the four-star is already thrilled for his upcoming opportunities at Florida on both the gridiron and the diamond.

“I’m just excited,” said Simmons, the No. 96 overall prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. “Coming into a program like that, it’s really the dream of a lifetime. Going to a school like that and having the opportunity to play both sports, it feels amazing.”

Simmons is ready to help Florida win in football and baseball

Even though Florida finished 6-7 in Napier’s first season, Simmons feels good about the Gators’ future. He especially likes how Florida’s staff trains its quarterbacks.

“Coach Napier, he’s always gonna coach you up, he’s always gonna motivate you to be great every single day, every single minute of the day,” Simmons said. “Then, you have coach O’Hara, I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks coaches in college football right now. He breaks everything down, he knows how to handle different types of quarterbacks, the different mentalities. He just knows how to coach players, period. I feel like we built a strong connection on those visits.”

Simmons feels like the upcoming season will be a big one for the Gators, who are bringing in a talented recruiting class. Once Florida finds its quarterback for the 2023 season, the Gators’ offense will flourish because of talented running backs and pass catchers, according to Simmons.

He’s also excited by the idea of playing for the Gators’ top baseball program, something that played a “really big” role in the decision.

“At Florida, they have a history of having two-sport athletes,” Simmons said. “When I spoke to (O’Sullivan) on the phone about being a two-sport athlete, he felt very comfortable about it, he felt very confident about me playing both sports. He said him and coach Napier could work everything out with the schedule.”