College Football

Mississippi St signee Simmons to enroll while facing charges

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State will allow highly touted signee Jeffery Simmons to enroll in school and join the football team while facing misdemeanor assault charges for striking a woman during a fight in March.

Mississippi State announced Simmons would be suspended for the first game of his college career, be evaluated by ''licensed professionals at the university's Student Counseling Services and be required to complete any program prescribed by that office.''

The altercation involving Simmons, his sister and another woman was caught on video and posted on the internet. Simmons can be seen landing several punches to the upper body and head of a woman who is lying on the ground.

Simmons, from Macon, is a 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end and one of top-rated recruits out of Mississippi to sign this year.