One thing that Austin Simmons is learning these days is that there are no constants in the world of sports. The highs don’t mean you’ll stay on the mountaintop; the same goes for the lows. After losing his QB1 role last year, the former Ole Miss quarterback transferred to Missouri in the portal. Now, he’s getting another shot at the glory.

On Friday, On3 reported that Missouri has named Austin Simmons its starting QB for the 2026 season.

Although Simmons entered the spring locked in a heated QB battle with rising sophomore Matt Zollers, his record gave him an edge. After transferring to the Tigers during the Rebels’ CFP push, he arrived with something to prove. Last season, Simmons opened as the starter under Lane Kiffin and led Ole Miss to a dominant 63–7 win over Georgia State, throwing for 341 yards and 3 TDs.

But during a Week 2 win against Kentucky, he suffered a left ankle injury, and that opened the door for Trinidad Chambliss. The latter took over the starting role and never looked back, leading Ole Miss to the semifinals of the playoffs. That meant Simmons was pushed to the backup role, forcing him to reset and rethink his path. Now, with a fresh start, the QB will get a chance to live up to his QB1 potential, which he didn’t fully realize at Ole Miss.

Reclassifying from the class of 2025 to 2023, Simmons enrolled at Ole Miss when he was just 17 years old. Then he spent his first season as the third-string QB behind Jaxson Dart and redshirted. Thereafter, in 2024, he served as the primary backup to Dart, appearing in nine games. His standout moment came against Georgia, where he stepped in for an injured Dart to lead a critical 75-yard TD drive that sparked a 28–10 upset.

Then, in 2025, he won the QB1 job in fall camp, but an injury took that opportunity away from him. Now, his decision to transfer seems to be paying off.

Eli Drinkwitz bets on his transfer QB

It’s not usual for a team to name its starters that early, especially when there’s no returning QB1. At the conclusion of their 15th spring practice, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz had seen enough. Among Austin Simmons, returning sophomore Matt Zollers, UConn transfer Nick Evers, and true freshman Gavin Sidwar, the former Ole Miss QB won the battle. According to reports, Zollers might redshirt the following season to preserve eligibility.

Drinkwitz has already made some additions in the portal to protect his left-handed starter. Arizona State transfer Josh Atkins will be tasked with protecting Simmons’ blindside. He is also enthused about the opportunity because of Missouri’s QB coach, Garrett Riley.

“The thing I like about him is he’s a poised guy,” Riley said about Simmons. “I don’t think anything gets him too high or too low. There’s not a lot of panic in him, learning a new system, learning his new teammates, just all those things combined, it’s definitely been one of the highlights as we evaluate him.”

Despite only starting two games last year, Simmons still managed to throw for 1,026 yards and six touchdowns. Drinkwitz even acknowledged that when providing his assessment of Simmons.

“I think he’s very competitive in nature, and he’s got natural talent as a quarterback, obviously, very good arm talent, decision maker, has the ability to run,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said on February 26. “Obviously, hasn’t played a ton of football because of the injury last year, but when he has gotten his opportunity, he has played at a really high level and high clip.”