With Mizzou football’s 2025 campaign now over, the Tigers have turned to redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons as their man for the 2026 season.
On Dec. 18, quarterback Beau Pribula informed the Missouri Tiger’s football program that he would be entering the transfer portal for the second straight season after joining Mizzou in the 2025 offseason.
After the announcement, many turned to former five-start recruit, Matt Zollers, to take the reins after he had already taken up the starting role after Pribula’s injury in the middle of the season
However, after a less than stellar performance in Mizzou’s bowl game, the Taxslayer Gator Bowl, which saw Zollers go 12/22 for just 101 yards and an interception, many began to question Zollers as the future leader of the Missouri offense.
On Jan. 2, a new name was thrown into the transfer portal, quarterback Austin Simmons of the Ole Miss Rebels. After having been replaced by Trinidad Chambliss in week two due to an ankle injury, Simmons was forced to watch as the backup has led the Rebels to a semifinal matchup in the College Football Playoffs.
Simmons came out of high school as a three-star recruit, passing for 3,253 yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore for Pahokee high school in Florida.
After redshirting his first year with the Rebels, he sat behind eventual 25th overall pick by the New York Giants, quarterback Jaxson Dart, sparking excitement in the Ole Miss community with how he looked in his numerous appearances throughout the season.
Simmons came in for a total of nine games during the 2024 campaign, going 19/32 for 282 yards and two touchdowns, with his final throw of the season being a 34-yard completion to seal up a win in the Gator Bowl.
Simmons had lots of hype heading into the season, with some even predicting Heisman-level play. However, a less than stellar start and his eventual week two injury resulted in a quick removal of any award-winning discussions.
Before being injured, Simmons started the season going 33/55 for 576 yards and three touchdowns along with 15 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown His real downside was seen in the four interceptions that he threw.
Ultimately, head coach at the time, Lane Kiffin, made the decision to name Chambliss the starter. Simmons did appear in four more matchups throughout the season, going 12/20 for 168 yards along with a touchdown and an interception while rushing it seven times for ten yards.
Currently, Simmons has been named a four-star transfer, as many still see much upside in the eventual redshirt junior. In all likelihood, Missouri will be the landing spot for Simmons, as outlets like 247 Sports have rated the pairing as all but inevitable.
Seemingly now, Missouri is poised for yet another battle for the starting position at quarterback this offseason. Now though, it will be a four-way battle between incoming true freshman Gavin Sidwar, eventual sophomore Matt Zollers, potentially former four-star recruit, senior Sam Horn, and potentially Austin Simmons.