Jacksonville Crimson Brandon Sims works hard, hones skills, looks to the future
By Ryne Turke
Jacksonville Crimson kicker Brandon Sims recently made a splash in Las Vegas with a standout performance at one of the top Special Teams Showcases in the country.
Nearly 250 of the top high school kickers and punters in the country took the field at the Chris Sailer National Kicking Showcase over the three day weekend earlier this year.
“It was great to compete against the best players in the country. They put us into three groups to track field goals, kickoffs and punting. There was some elite talent in this showcase, but overall I’m thrilled with my performance, was able to meet some awesome people and had a great experience,” says Sims.
Scouts and coaches were on hand to grade kickers on several categories, including accuracy, hang time and distance. Sims earned top marks in his kickoff performance, 6th in his class and 10th overall, and field goals, which he tied for 13th overall at the showcase.
Those who follow the Crimsons are well aware of the powerful leg of Sims. Known for his 50+ yard field goals and near automatic extra points, Sims is one of the many standout Crimsons you’ll see on Friday nights at Kraushaar Rosenburger Field.
After the most recent National Kicker Ratings, Sims jumped from the #74 kicker in the Class of 2025 to #23. With a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, Sims has a lot to be proud of, but the kicker was quick to praise his coaches and teammates for getting him to the position he’s in today.
“The guys trust me to do my thing on the field and that gives me a ton of confidence. Whether that’s smashing the ball into the end zone on a kickoff or drilling a field goal. At the end of the day, the goal is always a touchdown, but if my name gets called, I’m always ready for the opportunity to help the team.”
While his kicking career has been fairly short, Sims has enjoyed the ride.
“Growing up playing soccer, I was that kid known for kicking the ball far. I never thought about football until freshman year. My cousin kicked in high school and after one day of working with him I was hooked. I’ve worked hard to improve my mechanics, put in a ton of time in the weight room and a million reps. This is going to be an exciting season.”
Sims says he’s been contacted by several college coaches and has a handful of campus visits planned, with the goal of kicking at the college level.
With his impressive showing at the Las Vegas Showcase, Sims earned an invite to two other camps in the offseason. Sims will be kicking amongst 50 of the best special teams players in the country this July in LA.
Catch Sims and the Jacksonville Crimsons in action at Kraushaar Rosenburger Field this fall. You can bet I’ll be there.
