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Missouri didn’t waste any time naming its quarterback for 2026. The Tigers wrapped up spring practice Thursday and announced that Austin Simmons, a transfer from Ole Miss, has won the starting job.
Simmons spent two years with the Rebels before making the move to Columbia as a four-star transfer. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said the quarterback competition would be open when spring practice started, but he clearly liked what he saw from Simmons early on.
“I think he’s very competitive in nature,” Drinkwitz told 247Sports back in February. “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.”
Simmons came out of high school as a three-star recruit. Last season looked like it’d be his year at Ole Miss after he won the starting job, but an injury in Week 2 against Kentucky changed everything. Trinidad Chambliss took over after that, and Simmons never got another start.
His numbers at Ole Miss weren’t eye-popping. Through 17 games, Simmons completed 59.8% of his passes for 1,026 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. In the quarterback battle at Missouri, he beat out sophomore Matt Zollers, UConn transfer Nick Evers, and 2026 signee Gavin Sidwar.
Getting another shot in the SEC
The 2025 season was supposed to be Simmons’ breakout moment. Ole Miss did have a breakout star at quarterback, just not the one everyone expected.
Chambliss had spent a season behind Jaxson Dart, just like Simmons. When the competition opened up, Simmons won it and led the Rebels to a dominant win over Georgia State in the opener. Week 2 against Kentucky went differently; Simmons struggled before getting injured, and Chambliss came in to finish the game. The Rebels won, and Chambliss kept the job from that point forward.
There’s real talent here though. Simmons was a two-sport athlete in high school who had baseball scholarship offers from Florida and Georgia Tech.
His two starts with Ole Miss showed flashes of what he can do. Simmons put up 576 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns in those games. The arm talent is there, and he can extend plays with his legs.
But there’s one major issue he needs to fix.
Simmons threw four interceptions in his first two starts (two against Georgia State, two against Kentucky). Later in the year, he tossed another pick in just 12 attempts during garbage time against The Citadel. Those are the kinds of numbers that’ll get you benched, even if you’re making big plays between the mistakes.
Taking care of the football will be crucial at Missouri, especially with the schedule they’re facing. The Tigers had it relatively easy in 2025, but between adding a ninth SEC game and drawing a tougher slate, 2026 looks much harder.
Missouri gets Florida, Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma at home. They’ll also travel to face Ole Miss and Georgia on the road. There won’t be much room for error in those matchups; a couple of bad turnovers could easily flip a win into a loss.
It’s likely Missouri upgraded from Beau Pribula to Simmons at quarterback. The question is by how much? If Simmons plays more like the guy who earned the starting job at Ole Miss last year and less like the one who threw picks in bunches, the Tigers should be in solid shape heading into what’ll be a tough SEC season.
