STARKVILLE — Three years is all Jeffery Simmons needed to draw the attention of NFL franchises.
Having dominated in the Southeastern Conference for the last two seasons, the Mississippi State defensive tackle from Macon has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2019 NFL draft, he announced Thursday. He will play his final game as a Bulldog when No. 18 MSU (8-4) takes on Iowa (8-4) at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 (ESPN2) in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
“Thank you to Mississippi State for giving me the opportunity to play SEC football and attend this amazing school,” Simmons said in a letter published through MSU. “It was a dream I never thought could come true.”
Simmons has 59 tackles, 14 1/2 for a loss, and six quarterback hurries this season. The Associated Press named him a third-team All-American earlier this month.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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