Big Ten dream: See where Raines defensive tackle Jyon Simon committed for college football
From the cardinal red of Raines to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers.
Flipping over a card and donning a Rutgers hat, Raines junior defensive tackle Jyon Simon announced his commitment to Big Ten football with the Scarlet Knights on Thursday night.
The 6-2, 260-pound Simon, a fearsome force in the middle of the defensive front for the last two seasons, selected Rutgers ahead of finalists Colorado, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas and Jackson State. He lined up with six cards at a desk inside the Raines media center and briefly pulled out a USC card before revealing the Joker card with a Rutgers logo.
Simon said the close relationships with the Rutgers coaching staff and their focus on technique helped cement his connection with the Big Ten Scarlet Knights.
"They're definitely promoting me to being better than what I am right now, developing me to reach my goal, which is the next level in the NFL," he said.
Simon said that Rutgers and N.C. State were his main contenders, but his unofficial visit last week to the Piscataway, N.J. school pushed Rutgers over the top.
With one more year to go in Northwest Jacksonville, Simon said he's setting his sights on challenging for the Florida High School Athletic Association state title this fall. Raines, which reached the Region 1-2M final last season, owns FHSAA titles from 1997, 2017 and 2018.
"We're just trying to make everybody be mature, get everybody ready for that next level and ready to reach state," Simon said.
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Jyon Simon: Raines recruiting profile
Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and On3, Simon is a top-60 defensive line recruit for On3 in the 2025 class.
As a junior in 2023, he recorded 77 tackles (15 for loss) and nine sacks.
He's one of two major line prospects for the Vikings along with five-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas, who committed to Florida State in December.
An accomplished all-around athlete, Simon also competes in track and field, winning the Gateway Conference championship in the boys discus earlier this month at the University of North Florida with a throw of 135 feet, 2 inches.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jyon Simon: Raines 3-star defensive lineman commits to Rutgers
