“It was kind of like a gamble”: Josh Simmons looks back at his decision to join Ohio State

Offensive lineman Josh Simmons transferred to Ohio State in 2023 after two seasons at San Diego State, trusting offensive line coach Justin Frye to develop him into an NFL prospect.

Now preparing for the 2025 NFL draft, Simmons expressed satisfaction with his decision during media availability at the NFL Combine on Saturday.

Simmons credited Frye's coaching for helping him reach this stage of his career.

"I'm very glad," Simmons said. "I think it was kind of like a gamble a little bit, just because like you go off of 17 penalties (at San Diego State in 2022), really rough around the edges guy. Then you go to Ohio State, put my trust in Coach Frye, and he did the damn thing. He turned me into a monster."

Simmons added that he chose Ohio State because Frye specifically told him that he would focus on his development for the NFL.

"He showed me exactly step-by-step: This is what we're going to do first when you get here," Simmons said. "This is what we're going to do once you get the basics down. ... He told me a step-by-step plan of what he was going to do for me. And (transferring to Ohio State) was a no-brainer."

Last season, Simmons suffered an injury in the Buckeyes' 32-31 loss to Oregon in October and had season-ending knee surgery.

Josh Simmons left Ohio State this past season after a season-ending knee injury

Josh Simmons suffered a knee injury in the sixth game of Ohio State's 2024 season. His knee gave out while blocking an opposing player and he needed surgery. Rather than stay on campus, he chose to leave Ohio State and go to Los Angeles to be overseen by renowned orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache.

Simmons explained that the biggest reason he decided to leave Ohio State was his desire to start his NFL career. He said the best way to recover was to be in LA with his surgeon. He also emphasized that he would have been on the sideline with his teammates if it had been a minor injury.

That decision appears to have paid off because four months later, at the NFL Combine, he told reporters he was ahead of schedule in his recovery.