8/24/2023 football Edit

Simon brothers expect to make big impact on Tulsa defense

Larry Lewis

ITS Senior Writer

Although the brotherly bond is strong between the Simon brothers, Jayden and Julien, a little brotherly challenge between the two was bound to happen.

Such was the case at Lincoln High School in Tacoma Washington on the football field when they were teammates there.

"My senior year, his sophomore year, he thought he could run me over," Jayden said. "So, our coaches set up a little space for us on the field, a little Oklahoma drill, so I ended up setting him down off his high horse. After that, he stopped trying me."

Considering then, as is the case now, that Jayden is a lot bigger than Julien, that was probably not the wisest of moves for a guy who made the 2021 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll at USC.

"Being a little brother, you always have to challenge your older brother. All the little brothers out there know what that's like," Julien said.

And it wasn't like Julien was some raw player at the time. Julien ended up on the Max Preps Sophomore All-American first team.

Tulsa football fans are going to be seeing a lot of the Simon brothers this season, and that bodes well for the Golden Hurricane.

Jayden Simon started four games for Tulsa in 2022 before an injury cut his season short. (USATSI)

Jayden Simon and Julien Simon are both listed as starters on TU's preseason depth chart, and both should make an impact this season.

Jayden's first year at TU after transferring from Colorado went well until a leg injury ended his season after eight games. The massive 6-foot-3, 314-pound fifth-year junior nose guard had 22 tackles last season while starting four games.

"I feel like I was having a great season," Jayden said of 2022 at TU. "As the season went on, I feel like I was progressing and understanding the defense a lot more, and understanding my place in the middle of the defense.

"I excelled in everything I had to do. With the season being cut short, I feel like a have a vendetta this year."

There were family ties at TU when he arrived in Tulsa after three years at Colorado.

"I was coached by my cousin's husband (then defensive line coach Jesse Williams)," Jayden said. "That was my first time meeting him. It was a blessing having a family member as my coach. That was fun."

For Julien, having his big brother in Tulsa is important.

"He (Jayden) had a pretty big influence, I would say," Julien said on his decision to come to TU. "I'm with my brother, of course. That's pretty cool."

Julien, a 6-1, 227-pound third-year sophomore transfer from USC, is set to have a standout season at linebacker for the Golden Hurricane. He played five games for the Trojans, including three in 2022, in his two years in Los Angeles.

"The experience was good, I just didn't get the playing time I wanted, which is why I went into the portal," Julien said about being at USC. "I loved everything about that school."

This is Julien's third head coach in the last three seasons, as he played for Lincoln Riley in 2022 after playing for Clay Helton, who was fired after the 2021 season.

After entering the portal last December, it didn't take long for Julien to make up his mind to come to TU.

"I just appreciate Coach Wilson and all the coaches here now for giving me the opportunity to come here and showcase my ability to just give it my all every day," Julien said of first year Tulsa coach Kevin Wilson.

The Simon brothers have both adjusted well to being in Tulsa.

"There are definitely some similarities between Tulsa and Tacoma because they are not super big cities. So, I feel closer to home here rather than in Los Angeles," Julien said. "I like the Southern type of cooking here."

Jayden agrees with his brother about Tulsa.

"It's a lot more like being back home, being here in Tulsa," Jayden said. "In Colorado, all you could see is mountains, snow, crazy weather. The only thing that is different is that heat."

Besides football, the Simon brothers played basketball in high school as well. As usual, family was important there, as their older brother, Dionte' Simon, was an assistant coach on the team.

So, who was the better hooper?

"I'm going to say me, he is going to say him," Julien said about which brother was better.

Regardless of any brotherly rivalry, both Simon brothers should have a significant, positive impact on Tulsa's defense this season.