Austin Simmons watched his QB1 door at Ole Miss slam shut by backup Trinidad Chambliss. Running out of patience, he switched camps to join Missouri. Even then, his starter job is still not a guarantee. The Ole Miss sophomore comes only with the promise of a 2027 start and an elite comparison to a former prolific Mizzou QB.

“You’re hoping to hit a home run with Austin Simmons, and you might strike out,” Brandon Kiley of 101ESPN said on January 6. “When I heard the scouting report for Austin Simmons, my mind immediately went to. Oh, that sounds like Drew Lock. He’s like the quarterback that I have heard described as what Drew Lock was in his first year as a starter in 2015…What does this mean for 2026?

I think there’s a chance he’s excellent in 2027 when he gets that first full season as a starter for Mizzou. And I think the truth is there was no option to just maximize 2026, so why not take the upside?” added Kiley. Austin Simmons had a tough trajectory in college football. Getting recruited in 2023 by Ole Miss, Simmons came with an incredible frame, elite arm talent, and looked to thrive in the spread offense.

Simmons redshirted in his freshman season, learning behind Jaxson Dart and repeating the same in the 2024 season. In the few appearances Simmons got, the player notched 282 passing yards and 14 rushing yards, making him the frontrunner for the 2025 QB1 position. The Miami, Florida native consequently started the season on a dominant note.

In his first game this season against Georgia State, the 6’4″ and 215 lbs QB passed for 341 yards and followed it up with a 235 passing and 44 rushing yard performance against Kentucky. However, in the fourth quarter, an ankle injury led him to miss the game and later several games. In came Fresno State transfer Trinidad Chambliss in Simmons’ place and sealed the QB1 spot, reducing Simmons’ role to a backup.

Now in Missouri, Simmons plans to use his two years’ worth of eligibility for good. It won’t be easy since Simmons would have a QB battle with a freshman Matt Zollers, leaving 2027 to be the only year of a guaranteed QB1 spot. However, given the Miami native’s talent and the trajectory that Drew Lock followed, the possibilities are endless.

Drew Lock came in as a four-star recruit like Simmons in 2015 at Missouri. Though Lock was a legacy prospect and a highly regarded pro-style recruit, the uncertainty about his potential was still plenty. Initially, Maty Mauk was the starter for four games, and Missouri won three of those. However, several disciplinary issues and violations of team rules by Mauk forced Lock to take the prominent role under center.

Drew Lock’s potential career trajectory at Missouri radiates hope for Austin Simmons

Lock wasn’t spectacular in 2015, but him passing 1,332 yards promised an incredible upside. Plus, his 6’4″ and 215 lbs frame was perfect for the plays that then-head coach Barry Odom was about to deploy in 2016. “He had no idea what he was looking at defensively. You could see the talent, you could see the athleticism,” Brandon Kiley expanded.

“Cannon of an arm, great ability to hit the ball down the field, he just needed to hone it all in. He needed to get the right coaching. He needed to be in the right system in year two. So that is the one thing that gets me excited (for Austin Simmons).” Kiley added. Barry Odom came in as the new head coach for Missouri in 2016 and brought in a new offense. Lock quickly thrived.

The 6’4″ passer threw 3,399 yards in the season and rushed for another 123 yards. Additionally, the 2017 season was even better, and Lock produced 3,964 passing yards and backed it with a 3,498 passing yard performance in 2018. Owing to the consistent performances, Lock was drafted as the 42nd overall player in the NFL draft, and he has been going strong in the NFL ever since, amassing a total of $21 million in NFL earnings.

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Austin Simmons can have a similar trajectory. Under Eli Drinkwitz, Simmons gets a tweaked offense focused on pro-style concepts with up-tempo execution. Austin Simmons’ experience under Lane Kiffin’s system will come in handy as Mizzou’s run-heavy outside zone will complement Simmons’ explosive passing. However, for that to happen, it remains to be seen if Simmons wins the QB1 job in 2026, beating freshman Matt Zollers to it.