Joe Moorhead has no problem with Jeffery Simmons’ decision to forgo his senior season at Mississippi State and enter the NFL draft.

In fact, it seems the Bulldogs coach was all for it.

Simmons, a standout defensive lineman over the past two years, revealed his intentions with a heartwarming message to the Mississippi State community Thursday. He was met with nothing but support from his teammates and coaches, as Moorhead indicated Friday during his final on-campus press conference before the Outback Bowl.

“From 20 years of coaching, when a young man has an opportunity to change his life by becoming a potential first-round pick, and specifically a high first-round pick, my advice is to take advantage of that,” Moorhead said. “And you can always come back and get your degree. Because that’s a life-changing opportunity.

“The discussions were all positive. No one tried to honestly give him a reason to come back. If he wanted to, we would not have said no. But certainly, I think in his best interests, he made a great decision.”

Moorhead will surely miss Simmons’ productivity next season, but the star defensive lineman will still play when No. 18 Mississippi State (8-4) faces Iowa (8-4) on New Year’s Day in Tampa, Florida.

Marcus Rodrigue

Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.