Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has praised Sun Devils safety Shamari Simmons ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Simmons is currently listed as a longshot to get drafted, but that didn’t stop his former head coach from hyping his play on the field.
Arizona State Football HC Dillingham Praises Shamari Simmons as Impact Player Ahead of NFL Draft
During his time at Arizona State, Dillingham has relied heavily on the transfer portal to address the depth issues he inherited when joining the program.
Among those additions was safety Shamari Simmons, who spent two seasons at ASU after transferring from FCS-level Austin Peay. In 2023, Simmons was named the Sun Devils’ MVP after recording 73 tackles, one sack and one interception.
Some team is going to get a dude who will help their football team!!!! https://t.co/fvgCtPKJBY
— Coach Dillingham (@KennyDillingham) April 23, 2025
In the post on Twitter, Dillingham shared a video compilation of Simmons’ time at ASU, praising the safety and claiming he would be a major addition for any NFL team.
Kenny Dillingham Discusses Shamari Simmons’ NFL Combine Snub.
Despite going 11-3 last season, Arizona State received little attention when it came to NFL Combine invites. Only one player was invited — running back Cam Skatebo.
Simmons was among those left out, despite recording 72 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception. He was passed over in favor of eight other Big 12 defensive backs.
The snub has impacted Simmons’ draft stock, with many mock drafts projecting him to go undrafted. Some believe he could still get a call in the later rounds.
In a recent press conference, Dillingham spoke on why he believes players like Simmons were overlooked for the Combine.
“I told our guys, ‘It doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a reason some teams get more people consistently in it — it’s because they’ve won for longer. If we go and have a good year again, you will never have that happen again where someone gets snubbed from Arizona State,’” Dillingham said, suggesting the decision stemmed from ASU’s record in previous seasons.
KEEP READING: Kenny Dillingham Rushes to Cam Skattebo’s Aid
We’ll likely learn Simmons’ fate on April 26, when Rounds 4 through 7 of the draft unfold. That’s the most probable window for Simmons to be selected — if he hears his name called at all.
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