Family Ties: Recently Offered Safety Simeon Caldwell Says Uncle Coached at Miami

Class of 2026 safety Simeon Caldwell picked up an offer from Miami on Tuesday, but the rising sophomore, whose father Mike is the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has long been familiar with UM football.

Tim Walton, Caldwell’s uncle, coached at Miami from 2004-07, serving as the team’s defensive backs coach for three seasons and defensive coordinator for one. Walton is now the secondary/cornerbacks coach at Ohio State.

Caldwell’s offer from the Hurricanes came as a surprise to the 6-foot-3 defender, who was called down after his history class to the Bolles (Fla.) High School football stadium, where UM linebackers coach Derek Nicholson was waiting to see him. 

“[Nicholson] told me that the University of Miami would like to offer me, and I was just shocked,” Caldwell told LifeWallet Sports. “I think the whole process took under two minutes. It was just so quick, just so exciting. I didn’t know what to think in the moment.”

Caldwell also holds offers from Missouri, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Kentucky and Western Kentucky. He also recently visited Texas. 

“It went really good. It was set up by my 7-on-7 football team, Team Tampa. They were able to take us down there. I had a great time. I was able to meet some of the coaches on that visit, take some pictures, saw the facilities. It was a fun experience,” Caldwell said about his Texas visit in April.

As a freshman at Bolles (Fla.) High School in Jacksonville, Caldwell emerged as a threat on defense as the season progressed. He ended the year with 28 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one pass defended.

Because of his blend of size and athleticism, Caldwell has the versatility to play either in the tackle box or as a coverage safety. He’s a player to watch out for as he continues to progress.