West Virginia has landed a versatile piece to its future defense with a commitment from Savannah (Ga.) Jenkins linebacker Taurus Simmons.

Simmons, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, committed to the Mountaineers football program a few weeks following an official visit to campus June 14.

It was the first time he had visited Morgantown but he was able to see what he needed to when it came to his fit in the program and how he would be used which was critical.

"That helped a lot because I've never been up to West Virginia. It helped me get a feel for what the campus and vibe was like up there," he said. "I felt like all of the coaches were connecting and trying to bond."

The Rivals.com three-star prospect selected West Virginia over offers from Michigan State, South Carolina, Purdue, Kansas State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Cincinnati among others.

"I had to make sure it was somewhere my parents would like to send me, make sure they had good academics and somewhere I could play ball," he said. "I let the coaches know last Friday."

The versatile athlete could line up at linebacker or defensive end in the Mountaineers scheme and will likely get his first crack at the hybrid BANDIT position which is a mesh of the two responsibilities. That is a natural fit for what Simmons brings to the table and something that drew him to the program.

Simmons was recruited by tight ends coach Travis Trickett and developed a good relationship with the assistant coach since Mountaineers since the program first offered at the beginning of May.

•How does Simmons fit into the program? We break down his skill set and where recruiting goes from here. Link

"I'm happy with my decision," he said.

The hybrid prospect becomes the eleventh commitment for West Virginia in the 2020 class and is the third prospect that could potentially line up at bandit after Council Bluffs (Ia.) Iowa Western C.C. linebacker S.L. McCall also picked the program last month and St. Louis (Mo.) De Smet pass rusher Lanell Carr over the June 14 weekend although the latter could play defensive end.

WVSports.com will have more with Simmons in the near future.

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