Honestly, college football just hits differently when there’s drama in the quarterback room. And right now, in Oxford, it feels like we’re sitting on the edge of something big. Ole Miss has always had its share of talent under center, but with Jaxson Dart off to the NFL and Austin Simmons stepping up, the vibes have completely shifted. There’s no controversy here, just competition, ambition, and maybe a little chip on the shoulder.

You’ve got one guy heading to the New York Giants with major hype and a glowing endorsement from Lane Kiffin. And you’ve got another guy, taller, younger, quieter, watching all of it, taking it in, and waiting for his moment. Simmons hasn’t been loud, but when he talks, you can tell he’s ready to light it up. There’s a little tension in the air, just a sense that the next chapter in this Ole Miss offense is about to get real.

The script is familiar: the young QB trying to follow a fan favorite. But Simmons? He’s not just trying to follow. He wants to outdo. He joined the Jox 94.5 show on 19th July, and was asked, “Will specifically this offense look a little bit different, with you at quarterback as opposed to maybe some other guys?” Simmons fired back, saying, “I’m just going to let you see exactly what this offense is really capable of. I would say first week and then week two, you’re going to see exactly what we’re really made of.” The message is clear that he’ll let his play do the talking, and early in this season is when the fireworks start. Later, the host mentioned that there were no concerns at quarterback when Jaxson Dart was on the team. Simmons confidently responded that it’s not something to worry about with him either.

That can be bold, but it’s fair. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing around 215 pounds, Austin Simmons threw just 282 yards with 2 TDs last year in 9 games (0 INT), a QBR of 95.0, even as a redshirt freshman. That shows potential, ready to burst. Still, Simmons knows he’s not the headline here; Dart’s being hyped as possibly franchise-changing. And boy, Dart’s career trajectory backs it up. Drafted 25th overall by the Giants, he arrives with big props (6 feet, 2 inches, 223 pounds), and fans are buzzing, calling it a pivotal move for New York. In college, at Ole Miss, Dart racked up a ridiculous 10,617 passing yards and 72 TDs over three seasons.

So things are just going to be difficult for Simmons in the upcoming fall, but he’s also very confident, watching all this hype and saying, “Game on.” That’s exactly the kind of competitive fire fans love from a QB room, especially when he’s about to fill up the shoes of an elite QB. Lane Kiffin also had high praise for Dart, calling him “the total package.”

Lane Kiffin explains how Dart’s attention to detail set him apart

Dart was phenomenal last season for Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss. He racked up 4,279 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, helping the program end the season with ten wins and just three losses, which also include the Gator Bowl win against Duke (52-20). These numbers are enough to tell why Kiffin recently went full fanboy mode while talking about his former starting QB.

“If he is struggling with something, he’s going to find a way. He’s going to stay after. He’s going to do whatever it takes.” Kiffin said during his recent appearance on the Giants Huddle podcast. “I think for some, that can be too much information because we’re ‘chunking’ him a lot of information. And most of our plays are snapped before 15 [seconds on the play clock], so he’s getting a lot of information right up to the snap. He was great with that. We worked with him a lot on that. That takes some time to get out of him.” That’s like your favorite teacher bragging about their A+ student to an NFL team, and honestly, he deserves every bit of this praise.

However, now, his college football chapter is closed, but it has started for Austin Simmons. The young QB is building momentum of his own, and if he lights up Week 1 and Week 2 at Ole Miss, Kiffin’s praise for Dart could start to look premature. But the picture will be clear when we see Simmons on the field leading the Ole Miss offense.