Ole Miss is pushing deeper into the College Football Playoff, but the Rebels’ quarterback room is undergoing significant change.
Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal after two seasons in Oxford, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett. The move comes as Ole Miss continues its CFP run following a quarterfinal win over Georgia.
Simmons opened the 2025 season as the Rebels’ starter and guided victories over Georgia State and Kentucky before suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter against the Wildcats.
The injury sidelined him for multiple games and opened the door for transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who led Ole Miss to four straight wins. When Simmons returned, he served as the backup as Chambliss retained the starting role.
Simmons appeared in nine games as a reserve behind Jaxson Dart in 2024, completing 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Despite limited experience, he won the starting job last spring and appeared poised for a breakout before the injury derailed his season.
A four-star prospect from Pahokee High School in Florida, Simmons famously reclassified up two full years from the Class of 2025 to 2023. A former Florida commit, he flipped to Ole Miss in June 2023 and enrolled that August.
Simmons will enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and On3’s Pete Nakos, Simmons did so with a do-not-contact tag, signaling his next destination may already be lined up.
Ole Miss next faces the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 8 in the CFP semifinal.
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