2022 Quarterback AJ Simpkins Trying To Impress West Virginia Coaches Today

College recruiting is officially fully back in business as today players are permitted to start making visits to college campuses.

Over the next couple of months, players will start making official and unofficial visits, coaches can recruit off-campus and players will start participating in prospect camps hosted by specific schools. This has started today in Morgantown as Neal Brown and his coaches are evaluating a group of select recruits.

One of those players that will be looking to impress the West Virginia coaches and earn a scholarship is AJ Simpkins.

Courtesy of AJ Simpkins

Simpkins is a 2022 quarterback from Christ School in Arden, North Carolina. Simpkins currently holds offers from Liberty, Arkansas State and Lehigh but would love to have West Virginia become his first Power Five offer.

Simpkins arrived in Morgantown on Monday and spoke with West Virginia Sports Now following a tour with his family of the West Virginia campus.

“Coach Regan reached out to me a little while ago, as we’ve been talking off and on for two years now,” Simpkins tells West Virginia Sports Now. “Before everything shutdown, I came up here (Morgantown) for a game and really loved the environment, loved the offensive system and loved the town. With that being said, I definitely wanted to get up here and show them what I can do and see if I can be a part of it. With everything that happened with COVID, it was very hard to not be able to get in front of coaches during the season and attend games so now is definitely making up for lost time and I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Courtesy of AJ Simpkins

Simpkins is 6’3″, 215 and in 8 games last season, completed 110 of 160 passes for 1,888 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s a pocket passer with a big arm and believes his skillset is perfect for the Mountaineers offense.

“Yes, West Virginia is Air Raid/RPO based system and someone that I have been running for a while now and something that I believe that I can really fit in well with. I’m definitely a pocket passer. I can run a little bit but am stronger in the pocket. I believe that I can make all the throws on the field and am pretty good at reading defenses. I pride myself on spending a lot of time in the film room, trying to break opposing defenses down so that I’m prepared as possible when getting into the game.”

Great day today @NPShowcases Thank you @NPCoachJeff and @NPCoachZim such a great camp! pic.twitter.com/jxJ5UiiN83

— AJ Simpkins (@AJSimpkins15) May 30, 2021

“I’m just going to go out there and go do my thing and I believe that whatever they have me do or throw at me, that I’ll be able to compete and plan on doing my best to show them what I am capable of doing,” said Simpkins.

Simpkins and his family arrived in Morgantown a day ahead of this workout in order to explore the campus and learn more about the university.

“We got here and got a bite to eat and then went out to explore the campus. We looked around at the football facilities and around the football stadium and the practice fields. We then went over to the main campus and walked around there. It is just so beautiful here, very hilly but very beautiful.”

I wrapped up my conversations with Simpkins asking him what an offer from West Virginia would mean to him.

“Wow, it would be huge. It’s a school that I’ve been very interested in for a long time and it would be huge to me if they would offer me.”