Simmons thought his breakout would come last year, but he'll get another shot with Missouri in the 2026 season
By Austin Nivison Mar 19, 2026 at 4:04 pm ET • 2 min read 
Getty Images It didn't take long for Missouri to identify its starting quarterback for the 2026 season. Following the Tigers' final spring practice on Thursday, the team announced that Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons has won the job.
After spending two seasons with the Rebels, Simmons made the jump to Missouri as a four-star transfer. When spring practice opened, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said there would be an open competition, but he was complimentary of Simmons' game.
"I think he's very competitive in nature," Drinkwitz said in February, per 247Sports. "I think he's got natural talent as a quarterback. Very good arm talent and decision-maker. Has the ability to run. Obviously hasn't played a ton of football because of the injury last year, but when he has gotten his opportunity, he has played at a really high clip.
"Look forward to him working with the offense and competing to see who the best quarterback is on our football team."
A three-star recruit out of high school, Simmons initially won the starting job at Ole Miss last season until he suffered an injury in Week 2 against Kentucky. That's when Trinidad Chambliss took over, and Simmonds didn't get another start.
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In 17 games with Ole Miss, Simmons completed 59.8% of his passes for 1,026 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. In Columbia, Simmons beat out sophomore Matt Zollers, UConn transfer Nick Evers and 2026 signee Gavin Sidwar.
Fresh start for Austin Simmons in the SEC
Last season was supposed to be Simmons' breakout moment at Ole Miss, and the Rebels did have a breakout star at quarterback ... but it was Chambliss rather than Simmons.
After spending a season behind Jaxson Dart, Simmons beat out Chambliss for the starting job, and he led the Rebels to a blowout win over Georgia State in Week 1. Then, in Week 2, Simmons struggled against the Wildcats before going down with an injury. Chambliss came in to seal the win for Ole Miss, and he never relinquished the job after that.
Now Simmons gets another chance to reach his potential at Missouri, and there are reasons to believe he'll be successful with a new team. Simmons is a terrific athlete who was a two-sport star in high school, receiving scholarship offers from Florida and Georgia Tech to play baseball.
Simmons was also productive in his two starts with the Rebels. He totaled 576 yards passing, 61 yards rushing and four touchdowns in those games. Simmons can make big plays, but there is one thing he has to clean up at Missouri.
On the flip side of those big plays, there were also some big mistakes. Simmons threw four interceptions -- two each against Georgia State and Kentucky. Later in the season, he threw another pick in just 12 attempts while conducting mop-up duty against The Citadel.
If Simmons doesn't take better care of the football, it could be a long season for the Tigers' offense. Missouri had a relatively favorable schedule in 2025, but between the addition of a ninth SEC game and a tougher draw, that won't be the case this year.
Simmons will face Florida, Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma in Columbia. He will also go on the road to play Ole Miss and Georgia. The margin for error in those games will be slim, and Simmons' ability to limit turnovers could be the difference between winning and losing.
There's a good chance that Missouri upgraded at quarterback, going from Beau Pribula to Simmons, but the question is how much? If Simmons can show more of what earned him the starting job at Ole Miss last year, the Tigers should be in good shape.
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