ROCKINGHAM — The past month has been a whirlwind on the recruitment trail for Tate Simpson, but the Richmond Senior High School football player has found his future home.
The first football member of Richmond’s graduating class of 2025 to verbally commit to the college level, Simpson is staying close to Richmond County.
Simpson, a senior All-Conference defensive tackle for the Raiders this past fall, took to social media Jan. 20 to share the news he verbally committed to The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
“It’s a big relief to know I have somewhere to play in college,” Simpson said. “And I’m really proud of this accomplishment because I’ve spent my whole high school career working hard to get to the next level.”
Fielding interest from Allen University and Elon University, Simpson received offers from UNCP and the College of Central Florida.
After making his verbal commitment to the Braves, Fayetteville State University and Tusculum University both made late offers last week. But Simpson stayed true to his word.
“I went with Pembroke because the coaches there talked to me every day and made me feel like that’s where I belonged,” Simpson explained. “It really felt like home and it’s similar to how Richmond is as a football program.
“Pembroke recruited me before the start of my senior season and throughout it, and that meant a lot to me,” he added. “I like what they're about. Everyone there is humble and keeps their head down and works hard. I want to be a part of that culture.”
While on a visit to the Braves’ facilities Jan. 18, Simpson received an official offer. Over the next couple of days, the program stayed in contact with him, which is something Simpson said he appreciated.
“I’m really high on their recruitment board because (UNCP) believes I’ll fit in well with the program,” Simpson said. “That really influenced me when making my decision. And all of the guys there made me feel comfortable.”
During his senior season this past fall for the Raiders, Simpson finished the season with 41 total tackles, eighth-best on the team. Bullying opposing offensive lines, Simpson recorded 12 tackles-for-loss and had 3.0 quarterback sacks.
Getting into the backfield often, Simpson also had seven quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery during Richmond’s 10-3 season, which ended in a trip to the third round of the state playoffs and a Sandhills Athletic Conference championship.
In his best outing of the season, Simpson had eight tackles against Lee County High School, which included two of his three quarterback sacks.
Following Richmond’s playoff run, Simpson was named an alternate for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. Getting called up to play in the December senior showcase, Simpson helped North Carolina defeat South Carolina 49-24, ending a 12-year losing streak.
“Playing at Richmond really built me up,” Simpson said. “Going through the program for four years toughened me up mentally and I got physically stronger. Richmond really prepared me to be able to play at the college level.
“Coach (Taivon) Jones, Coach (Brad) Denson, Coach (Kemp) McSween and Coach (Joey) English deserve a lot of credit. They pushed really hard on me and used a lot of tough love to help get me where I wanted to be.”
When he joins the Braves as a freshman this summer, Simpson will join head coach Mark Hall and a UNCP program that went 6-5 in 2024. Competing in the Conference Carolinas, the Braves went 6-3 against Mountain East Division opponents.
While in school, Simpson hopes to pursue a degree in computer science.
“I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity,” Simpson closed. “And I want to thank my mom, dad and brother for being such a strong support system to me. I couldn’t have done all of this without them.
“I also want to thank all of my friends, teammates and coaches for helping me reach this dream of mine.”
