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VUCommodores.com — Simmons Focused on Building Roster 24-7

Barton Simmons joined the Vanderbilt football program in 2021 as its general manager – director of personnel, overseeing roster development and playing an integral role in recruiting and scouting.

Simmons, a Nashville native, worked for Rivals.com as a national analyst before moving over to 247Sports in 2010. He spent a decade in various lead roles for 247Sports’ scouting department.

For the last five recruiting cycles, Simmons oversaw the 247Sports’ rankings process. He shined on camera and on podcasts in his role and was also vital to CBSSports’s college football coverage. Some of the prospect rankings he was higher on than the rest of the industry during his career included Tyrann Matthieu, Travon Walker, DeVonta Smith, Tristan Wirfs and Ja’Marr Chase.

Simmons played high school football at Montgomery Bell Academy, where he was a teammate of Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea. Simmons was a two-time state champion in football and earned first team all-state honors.

A four-year starter as a defensive back at Yale, Simmons helped the Bulldogs to a combined record of 21-18 with a 34-24 win over Harvard in 2000. He earned second team All-Ivy accolades in 2002 and 2004.