By Kevin Armstrong, SI.com
Don Bosco Prep senior quarterback Matt Simms, who made an oral commitment to Louisville in July, has reopened his recruitment on the heels of former Louisville coach Bobby Petrino's departure to the Atlanta Falcons.
Last Wednesday Michigan State reps visited Simms, and on Saturday the quarterback's search for a new school landed him in a seat next to new North Carolina State head coach Tom O'Brien.
Dressed in a collegial red sweater, O'Brien, formerly the head coach at Boston College, sat in the stands for the Wolfpack's loss to Duke. But it may be O'Brien who had the most to gain off the court.
During the nationally televised contest, ESPN's cameras zoomed in on the new coach, who appeared to be enjoying his status as big man on campus, flanked as he was by two blondes. To his right was Matt Simms and to O'Brien's left was Matt's older brother and Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback, Chris.
O'Brien's staff at BC had recruited Matt. And when Simms gave Louisville his oral commitment, he listed BC, Arizona State, Tennessee and Rutgers as the runners up. Moreover, while attending BC's team camp three times as a Bosco player, Simms developed a strong relationship with O'Brien's offensive coordinator, Dana Bible, who produced two NFL quarterbacks in Tim Hasselbeck and Brian St. Pierre and who followed O'Brien to N.C. State. It wouldn't be surprising, therefore, if Simms signs with the Wolfpack on National Signing Day, Feb. 7.
Throughout the recruiting process, the Simms family has stressed working with the best offensive minds as a priority, which is why they chose Louisville. "The big thing for me was to work with the best offensive minds that I could," Matt said two days after making his decision.
BC, which now has former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski in place as head coach, is said to not have reopened the book on Simms. The new offensive coordinator is Steve Logan, whose attack is typically based around a more mobile quarterback than Simms. It's unknown if Simms is again mulling over Arizona State, Tennessee and Rutgers.
The Bosco quarterback is not the only Ironman making the closing weeks of recruiting more interesting in the Garden State. Defensive end Justin Trattou, who gave Notre Dame an oral commitment on a nationally televised stage from the ESPN Zone in Times Square in June, was down in Gainesville, Fla., last weekend to visit with the national champion Gators.
On Monday, Notre Dame head coach and Jersey native Charlie Weis was seen on Bosco's campus, presumably to firm things up with Trattou.
