Have you ever heard a story so wild it makes you blink twice and check the date? Austin Simmons, who dipped out of high school two years early, just dropped a bomb on the sports world. The southpaw prodigy with a golden arm on the mound and a sniper’s touch on the gridiron? He’s done with baseball. And the kicker? Pops out here comparing him to a $700M man. Simmons heard all that noise… and still chose Lane Kiffin’s playbook over a Louisville Slugger.

The Decision That Shook Oxford. When Simmons first touched down in Oxford, he was the unicorn—QB1 by day, relief pitcher by night. Mike Bianco and Lane Kiffin both thought they struck double gold. But as of this week, Coach Kiffin’s the only one still counting blessings.

Simmons made it official on The Paul Finebaum Show: football is his full-time grind now. “It was definitely hard,” Simmons admitted. “Baseball was my first sport, surprisingly. Some people thought I played football first. But really, it was a tough process, probably one of the toughest decisions I’ll ever make in my life. I love both and it was really fun playing both. I just thought playing football was the best decision for me and my family.”

This wasn’t just some half-baked decision either. Simmons was that guy on the mound. As a redshirt freshman, he posted a 3.21 ERA across 13 appearances. Simmons had D1-level heat, not to mention outfield range and batting power. But even with all that, football pulled stronger. “I just thought playing football was the best decision for me and my family,” he said.

His dad? He wasn’t holding back either. Pops Simmons, talking up his son like it was draft day, dropped the wildest comp of the year. “He’s a better baseball player than a football player. A lot of people have no idea. He could be (Shohei) Ohtani. If he didn’t play football, he would be Ohtani.” Let’s be real—how many kids out here have their dad casually comparing them to Shohei Otani?

Paul Finebaum didn’t just toss softballs—he lobbed a $700 million grenade straight from left field. “I’m sure you’ve seen this comment from your dad. I mean, he’s comparing you with a guy that just may be the greatest ball player of all time. who could do it all from a pitching standpoint and a hitting standpoint. When you heard that for the first time, what was your reaction?”

The 19-year-old kept it humble: “I was surprised to show that. Like, you know, there’s some, I think there’s, like, I’m not sure how many two-way players there are in the league, but hey, Shohei (Ohtani) is one of them. And I love playing both. I love playing in the outfield, and really, like, it’s just a fun process. So I felt like I could take both to the next level if I wanted to, but things didn’t happen that way.”

That “way” he’s talking about? It’s lined with SEC defenses, bright lights, and Lane Kiffin’s air raid schemes. Simmons redshirted last year, but we got a lil’ taste of his cannon against Georgia. Stepped in for Jaxson Dart and went 5-of-6 with a touchdown drive. Not bad for someone who should’ve been worried about prom.

Now, Simmons is QB1. Not in some “eventually” type of way. Right now. And Ole Miss fans should count their blessings, because he could’ve easily gone full Ohtani and helped Bianco in the NCAA Regionals. Instead, he chose pressure. He chose Saturdays.

The incredible feats of Austin Simmons

Before this teenager even takes his first snap as the Rebels’ starter, he’ll already be holding something most of his teammates won’t touch for years—a college degree. Yeah, Simmons is walking into the 2025 season as a 19-year-old graduate.

He wrapped up a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies this May. While the rest were fumbling group projects at 22, Simmons was out here stacking college credits. And if that doesn’t knock your socks off, maybe the fact that he graduated from high school at 16 with a 5.34 GPA will. That’s some diabolical GPA flex.

CBS Sports broke it down: “Simmons’ advanced academic pace as a youngster started because of baseball. Fearing he may not eclipse 6-feet, his father focused on developing him as a southpaw pitcher. To better prepare him as an athlete, and the possibility of being drafted to play baseball before enrolling in college, he began high school coursework at home in middle school.”

So now you’ve got a 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback who’s got a live arm, 4.0+ brainpower, and enough discipline to juggle football, baseball, and books without flinching. Lane Kiffin’s jaw probably hit the floor when Simmons said he was done with baseball and going all-in on football. Let’s be real, Kiffin stays hunting unicorns, but this one might just break the mold.

And don’t forget—this wasn’t always the plan. Simmons originally committed to Florida. He was supposed to be the next big thing in Gainesville before flipping to Ole Miss. That decision? Might just be the best pivot since Lamar left cornerback.

It’s easy to hype up a teenager who’s got a laser arm and a highlight reel. Simmons’ story is built on grind. On 6 a.m. lifts, 9 p.m. Zoom classes, and the kind of sacrifice most kids his age can’t even spell. Simmons isn’t just playing college football. He’s out here rewriting what it means to be a college athlete.

And here’s the kicker: He’s just getting started. Austin Simmons could get benched in Week 1, and this would still be a wild success story. But that’s very unlikely. Simmons is walking into 2025 like it’s a season finale. Everyone’s watching.

The decision to give up baseball might haunt him a bit—especially when he watches Ohtani crush another moonshot or toss a complete-game shutout. But Simmons didn’t flinch when it came time to choose. He bet on himself. And now he’s got the keys to Lane’s kingdom.

Call it what you want—the end of a dream, the start of another, or just a cold business decision. But either way, Austin Simmons isn’t your average teenager. He’s a 19-year-old grad, a full-time QB1, and maybe the next big thing to hit the SEC like a thunderclap.