Report: Auburn WR Malcolm Simmons files for 'youthful offender' status in domestic assault case

A notable update has emerged on Auburn wide receiver Malcolm Simmons‘ domestic assault case. The update could make the details of what happened and what happens moving forward private from here on.

Per Nathan King at Auburn Undercover, the defense for Simmons filed for status as youthful offender. That would make this case a confidential one during the judge’s review of that and, if the judge grants it, will make this a private case with no jury at a trial of it as well.

This comes this morning after Simmons’ preliminary hearing was moved up five days to today, August 8th, after originally being set for next week on Wednesday, August 13th. That’s following his arrest on July 16th on a charge of domestic assault with strangulation or suffocation, with his bond set at $20,000

Since then, Simmons has been able to be at fall camp for the Tigers over the past week. Little else has been discussed regarding his off-field issue down on The Plains.

“Based on the information that I’ve been given from our administration that have knowledge of the matter, he’s been cleared to participate in team activities,” Hugh Freeze said at the opening of camp last week. “That’s all the information I have.”

Simmons is set to enter his sophomore season playing wide receiver at Auburn. He appeared in all 12 of their games a season ago and posted 40 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns, which had him second in catches to only WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith and third in yardage and receiving scores to Lambert-Smith and WR Cam Coleman in their corps.

The 451 receiving yards were also fifth-most all-time in program history for a freshman receiver with the Tigers, with that generating a lot of interest in the young, sophomore pass catchers on their roster with Simmons (No. 190 overall, No. 32 WR) and Coleman (No. 4 overall, No. 2 WR) as well as Perry Thompson (No. 48 overall, No. 12 WR) with all being were Top-35 WRs and four-stars or better in the 2024 recruiting cycle per Rivals’ Industry Ranking.

This has been another off-field issue for Auburn to monitor over the past month as it comes out of the offseason and begins to prepare for the fall. However, little else may be known about this specific instance if this request is granted by the judge to Simmons and his representation in court.