Jeff Sims reveals how his game has evolved since entering college

Jeff Sims is tasked with carrying the new-look, Matt Rhule-led Nebraska football program into 2023. It won’t be the first time Sims has been given the keys to the car — but it’s the first time he’s ready for them.

At one point, Sims was a wide-eyed true freshman at Georgia Tech being forced into the fold, earning his first start in ACC action in 2020. It’s safe to say the young QB was not ready for his moment in the sun at that moment.

“I was a freshman coming straight out of high school and playing a team (Florida State) that I was committed to [originally] — In that game, I was just really blessed to be there,” Sims told On3’s Andy Staples on his podcast. “I was taking everything that I could and I just knew that I was proud of myself for being in that situation because that was something that I has dreamed of.”

Now, Sims has the experience, but also the maturity that comes with playing three years of college football. He’s improved his strength, speed, his though-process — and most importantly, his confidence level is at an all-time high.

He’s a far cry from the young man that was starting games as a true freshman for the Yellow Jackets. Still, he’s taking the lessons he learned from Atlanta and is hoping to improve on them at Nebraska.

“Georgia Tech taught me a lot,” Sims said. “It taught me how I need to improve on my leadership, and how to handle adversity and how to overcome things.”

In three years at Georgia Tech, he rushed for 1,166 yards and 11 touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry. His game isn’t one-dimensional, either. In three years for the Yellow Jackets, Sims threw for 4,464 yards and 30 touchdowns. He didn’t throw the football as often as a normal ACC quarterback but still managed to amass 1,000 yards through the air in each of the three seasons he played for Tech. 

Rhule called Sims a passer who runs a 4.40 40-yard dash. Not a runner who can throw, purely a passer with a gifted ability to run the ball. 

The next time Sims will be in a live game setting will be during Nebraska’s season opener on Thursday, Aug. 31 on the road against Minnesota. More interestingly, Sims and the Huskers will travel to Boulder to play Deion Sanders and the new-look Colorado Buffaloes on Sept. 9 the next weekend.