Missouri has a big question to solve at quarterback this season. It will be tough for head coach Eli Drinkwitz to find a replacement for Beau Pribula, who had become a staple as QB1 for the Tigers. This year, with some new and old faces in the run to be the next starting quarterback, Drinkwitz will not find it easy to make his pick.

A source told On3 that Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons and returning Missouri QB Matt Zollers are the two main players competing for the starting job. Right now, Simmons is a little ahead in the quarterback race because he is more experienced among the two. However, the race is tight. No timeline has been announced for when Missouri picks its QB1, despite spring camp ending on March 27. However, Eli Drinkwitz was keen on the battle before the team began spring practice.

“Core value No. 1 is always compete,” Drinkwitz said during spring camp. “So there’s got to have to be added competition. And we’ve got that with Austin Simmons, with Nick Evers, with Gavin Sidwar, and with Matt Zollers.”

Simmons, in his limited availability over the last two seasons, has shown he has promise. In 2024, Simmons took over the game for Ole Miss when the starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, got hurt against Georgia. He completed 5 out of 6 passes for 64 yards, made important short-yardage plays, and helped his team tie the game early.

Last year was bittersweet for Simmons. He won the starting role, but an early injury forced him out, allowing Trinidad Chambliss to replace him as a starter. Simmons never got the role back, but put some much-needed stats on the board. He threw for 744 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Almost half of his passes went 10 or more yards downfield, and Pro Football Focus gave him a high grade of 92 out of 100 for his deep passes.

Matt Zollers has only spent one full season at Columbia, but it has made him seasoned enough to compete for the role in 2026. He was thrust into the fire in last year’s Vanderbilt game after Pribula dislocated his ankle. Zollers started in 3 games, and the pressure got to him. He was able to win only one of them as a starter. But the QB is also capable of moving the offense well, amassing 503 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He knows the system well, which is a massive add-on.

Having a QB competition despite players’ experience is very common in Missouri. Last year, Beau Pribula and Sam Horn competed for the job. Brady Cook became the starter in 2024, but he had to earn the position in 2022 and 2023, even sharing playing time with Horn in Week 1 of 2023.

This season’s QB1 race is a bit different because there is no clear-cut candidate right now. However, if Austin Simmons does come out at the top, there is one problem that Drinkwitz should look out for.

Austin Simmons unique feature’s troubling Missouri’s offense

Simmons throws with his left hand, which is unusual. He is among the rare left-handed QBs in college football. This means the team has to change how they play because left-handed passes spin differently. Pass catchers in particular have to adapt quickly to Simmons’ style. Ole Miss transfer Cayden Lee, who has already played with Simmons, said that he dropped catches because of the unique spin.

“It was weird, because that was my first time catching it from a left-handed quarterback,” returning WR Donovan Olugbode said at a presser. “It takes time to get used to, but I got used to it pretty fast. So it’s solid.”

Simmons is the first left-handed starting quarterback under Coach Eli Drinkwitz. To help him, Missouri brought in OL Josh Atkins from Arizona State to block on Simmons’ right side, called the “blindside.” This is a position Atkins has never played before. Cayden Green, Missouri’s returning left tackle, will not see a drastic change in gameplay. But the dynamics will definitely be different. Drinkwitz, however, is confident about having Simmons on the roster.

“[The] truth of it is, if a left-handed quarterback is playing for you, they usually turn out to be really good, because they had to overcome a lot of bias,” the head coach said at a presser during spring practice. “We might have to be conscientious of that… But other than that, he’s gotta go play some football, I’m sure he’s been battling that stigmatism his whole life.”

Now, with all the risks at stake, let’s wait and see which quarterback finally takes the QB1 spot.