Why Pearl-Cohn defensive back Josh Sims committed to Northwestern football
Sims will graduate from Pearl-Cohn this spring, train in the fall and enroll at Northwestern in December. He reclassified to the Class of 2026 to make up time for an injury that sidelined him his sophomore year.
Sims made his commitment on April 12.
Northwestern coach David Braun and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks have recruited Sims for the past year and were able to offer him a scholarship in March.
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'We had a good relationship, and I knew it was a good spot for me. It was real family oriented, my family liked it,' Sims said. 'What I like the most about coach Hicks is the way he teaches everything. I got to watch film with them, watch how they learn in their meetings and stuff. He's very calm and collected. He's not too aggressive with his teaching techniques. I don't mind the aggressiveness, but he tries to make sure everyone understands the defense. I like that a lot because it can be hard transition from high school to college.'
Sims, a three-star cornerback, is the No. 16 player in Tennessee and the No. 45 cornerback nationally after reclassifying to the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He held offers from Indiana, Louisville, West Virginia, Colorado and Kentucky, among others.
He played through a patella tendon injury in his knee through the first five weeks of last season and later played with a bruised rib and multiple dislocated fingers. He still totaled 65 tackles, 36 solo, six tackles for loss, one sack and an interception in 13 games, helping Pearl-Cohn reach the Class 4A state semifinals. He was also a key piece for Pearl-Cohn during its 15-0 run to the Class 4A state title in 2023.
Northwestern runs a 4-2-5 defense and will give Sims opportunities to play at the nickel, safety and cornerback spots, Sims said.
'It's something I'm used to. I ran that in high school,' Sims said. 'They play man a lot so with my speed, I'm all good with playing man.'
Sims is the first Pearl-Cohn football player to be named valedictorian under coach Tony Brunetti in 19 seasons and was named the 81st recipient of the William Hume Award, the highest honor given to Metro Nashville Public School football players. He plans to major in sports medicine or kinesiology at Northwestern.
'I never thought I'd be going somewhere with this high of academics,' Sims said. 'I always knew I was smart. My mom reminds me every day. But I'm very proud because I had a lot of academic schools offer me, and choosing one of the best there is is very exciting.'
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Northwestern football lands Josh Sims, 3-star DB from Pearl-Cohn
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