3-Star RB Simpson: 'The Cookout Was Awesome'

Trenton Simpson was offered by North Carolina back in May, and since been getting closer to the UNC staff and gaining more comfort around the program in Chapel Hill.

First, he visited Carolina following his offer, and most recently, the 6-foot, 205 pounder was in town for Saturday’s cookout the staff threw for prospects.

THI caught up with the 3-star running back from Mallard Creek H.S. in Charlotte to see how the cookout went and to learn more about where his recruitment stands.

Note that Simpson has also been offered by South Carolina, where he’s visited a couple of times, Wake Forest and Colorado State, among a few others. Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Penn State and N.C. State have increased their communication with him over the summer.

Here is our interview with Trenton Simpson:

So how was the cookout today?

The cookout was awesome, I got a chance to hang out with the coaches and the other recruits there.

Had you been to UNC before or was this your first visit?

Yes sir, I went down there in May after they offered me a scholarship.

Did you also camp there in June?

No sir, I wasn’t able to make to camp this summer.

What do you think about the campus and facilities, especially the new building that will be done soon?

I love the campus, and the new indoor practice facility will be a great addition.

What coaches did you talk with the most Saturday, and what have they told you they like about your game?

I spoke with (running backs) Coach (Robert) Gillespie the most today. He likes that I’m very versatile.

What do you like about Coach Gillespie?

He’s a real cool coach, and he bonded well with me and my family.

You still have quite a bit of time to go in your recruitment, but some guys like to get it over even in their junior years. Do you have a time table yet for how you want to go about this?

I’ll definitely have my decision made before playing my senior season.

Sounds like a good plan. What are the schools that are standing out to you at this stage of the process?

North Carolina, South Carolina, Wake Forest.

Simpson is in no hurry but the impression here is he will zero in on a couple of schools within the next few months and pick one from that small group. UNC is in good shape for several reasons, one if that Tommy Thigpen is developing quite a presence at Mallard Creek. Simpson could be a very important piece to building somewhat of a pipeline there much like the program has established at Wake Forest HS north of Raleigh.