UFL Showcase Player Highlight WR/KR Todd Simmons 

Todd Simmons is a physical freak when it comes to pro-day and combine drills. Graduating in 2022 after attending the University of Dubuque he was not invited to the 2023 NFL Combine, but instead was left to find his own way on the free agent market. This led him to rookie minicamp with the Chicago Bears, workouts with the Las Vegas Raiders, Calgary Stampeders and later the XFL Draft.

On the UFL Radar but Not in the League? 

Getting interest from the top leagues in America as a rookie is a great start to a career but getting interest and sticking are two very different things, something Simmons is all too aware of after spending the 2024 season playing for the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football League and Jersey Bearcats of the American Arena League 2. Doing anything he could to get current film. 

Now the one time XFL Draft prospect will look back to the showcase series to prove it was a mistake leaving him out of the league in 2025. His personal bests looks like a list of the top performers at a combine: 

6’1 190 lbs 

40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds 

10-yard split: 1.5 seconds 

Peak Speed: 23.7 mph

Vertical Leap: 41 inches 

Broad Jump: 10 feet 7 inches 

5/10/5: 4.11 seconds

Todd Simmons’ College Career 

Simmons bounced around a bit in school trying to find his way to the NFL. His path began as a preferred walk on at Maryland grey shirting his freshman year. He would then bounce to Charleston University then Independence Community College, Wagner University and finally University of Dubuque. To Simmons it was all just stepping stones to the NFL. He has a burning desire to prove his doubters wrong and will stop at nothing to do so. 

Simmons has been very vocal in saying he is open to a position change if that’s what it takes to get a shot at the next level. He is not opposed to putting his 4.4 speed to work on defense, in the return game or on kick/punt coverage units. There is also an added facet to his game most aren’t aware of. Simmons moonlights as a quarterback. The former high school quarterback asked to change positions before he graduated has never lost touch with his roots. 

He has spent time in the fall playing quarterback with the semi-pro Pennsylvania Lions to keep this in his back pocket. Now chances are he isn’t going to get the call up as a quarterback..but adding value as an emergency quarterback, on trick plays, or more immediately the scout team quarterback when his team’s defense needs to simulate an extremely athletic opponent at quarterback certainly should not hurt his case. 

Curiosity Continues the Career? 

I briefly glazed over the fact that he would consider a position change to defense. Simmons has gone as far as saying if he doesn’t get an opportunity on offense in 2025, he will likely move to defense and focus on playing defensive back. Simmons craving for football is insatiable, and we could see him get a taste of defense sooner rather than later with leagues like the IFL, TAL, or AFL still playing. 

Simmons looks at this as a sort of new lease on his career. A second chance if you will, but my hope is that teams realize his unreal athleticism should be utilized with the ball in his hands, preferably as much as possible. 

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