Keith Simms

The Oregon Ducks put on a full-court press to try to lure Keith Simms

(Courtesy of Keith Simms)

The Oregon Ducks put on a full-court press to land Rivals four-star linebacker Keith Simms on Tuesday evening, as head coach Mark Helfrich, defensive coordinator Brady Hoke, linebacker coach Don Pellum and defensive line coach Ron Aiken all traveled to Bethesda, Maryland to try to close the 6-foot-3, 225-pound defender.

In-home visits are always important as signing day nears, but this one was particularly important for the Oregon coaching staff, as Simms' family was unable to take the trip to Eugene during his official visit and had concerns about the possible cross-country move.

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According to the dynamic linebacker, the coaching foursome addressed those concerns and knocked the conversation out of the park.

"It was awesome," Simms said. "It was really important to have this talk because my dad wasn't able to go on the (official visit) and he wanted to meet all of the coaches personally. I thought it went great and they really connected well."

After the visit, the East Coast prospect said he had a clearer picture of his upcoming decision and where the Ducks stand.

"Definitely at the top," he said. "Virginia Tech and Oregon are two that stand out."

With no trips left on the agenda and signing day less than a week away, Simms will soon be ready to make an announcement concerning his future college.

He expects to make his decision public either this weekend or "Monday at the latest."

Oregon is in the mix for a number of bluechip prospects, and it appears the Ducks' standing is particularly strong with Simms just days before his decision.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec