When Ole Miss starting QB Austin Simmons went down in Week 2, who thought a Division II school from Ferris State would shift the narrative?
That’s why, when he recently appeared on Nonstop with Kirk Herbstreit and Joey Galloway on Monday, Kiffin explained the situation, "Obviously, it’s abnormal that your starting quarterback got hurt and your backup quarterback came in and played so great. And has done such a great job over these three weeks. So, we definitely learned that we have two really good quarterbacks".
Since taking over injured Simmons' spot, Trinidad Chambliss has thrown for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns in three starts. Plus, he also rushed for at least 60 yards in each of those games, making him the only SEC quarterback to hit those marks since former Rebel Jaxson Dart did it in 2024. ESPN now ranks him as the No. 3 quarterback in the state, and he has become a surprise contender for the Heisman Trophy.
This leaves Kiffin with a tough choice. His original starter, Austin Simmons, was a big-time four-star recruit with a massive NIL deal who waited patiently for his turn to lead the Rebels behind former starter Jaxson Dart. But in his first two games this season, Simmons struggled and threw more interceptions than touchdowns against weaker teams. When Simmons ankle injury heals, the job he waited for might not be his anymore.
The former starter has been nothing but supportive of his replacement. “Yeah, Austin has been a stud. Battling his way back through injury, being ready to play today. He would have done a great job,” Kiffin said.
And, you know, says a lot about him, because that’s not easy. It’s not easy. You’ve been waiting to be the starter for a couple years, waiting for Jaxson [Dart] to leave. And so, really proud of him in how he’s handled that.”
Kiffin hasn’t confirmed the decision yet, and the option he’ll go with is critical because the Rebels' toughest games are still ahead. Coming off their bye week and preparing to host Washington State next week, they will face a brutal stretch where they will play road games against No. 12 Georgia and No. 5 Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks.
Will Kiffin go back to the guy he chose at the beginning of the season? Or will he ride the hot hand of the player who just led the team to a massive victory?