St. Augustine rising senior Damari Simeon makes college football commitment

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St. Augustine's Damari Simeon in a game against Holy Spirit in Absecon on October 4, 2024.

Patrick Mulranen

Damari Simeon had a lot of opinions.

The St. Augustine Prep rising senior and defensive lineman got 38 NCAA Division I scholarship offers over the years.

He narrowed the list down to 10 schools in February and four in May -- Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and University of Texas.

One of the country's top defensive lineman prospects, Simeon announced Friday at the Chickie's & Pete's in Egg Harbor Township that he will attend Ohio State.

Simeon announced his decision live on St. Augustine football's Instagram page. Over 446 people joined the livestream.

"It has been a blessed journey so far," Simeon said before he hovered his hand over the hats of each school, finally picking up and putting on the red Buckeyes hat.

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He took off his St. Augustine sweatshirt and revealed a black Ohio State football T-shirt, getting a loud applause and cheers from his family and friends.

There were a few "Go Bucks!" chants near the end of the livestream.

Simeon was a first-team Press All Star last season. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder made 47 tackles, nine for loss, and intercepted a pass to lead the Hermits to the state Non-Public A semifinals. He made 30 tackles, eight for losses, as a junior.

According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the 26th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class. Simeon is the third-ranked New Jersey and 201st overall prospect for 2026.

Last season, the Buckeyes went 14-2 (7-2 Big Ten Conference) and won the national championship under coach Ryan Day. Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 in the national title game.

Contact Patrick Mulranen: 609-272-7217

PMulranen@pressofac.com

Twitter @ACPressMulranen

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