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.

This is a developing story….