Austin Simmons rewrites the record books, and underrated pass catcher takes CFB by storm highlight Ole Miss Hot Takes heading into 2025 season

Head coach Lane Kiffin has built the Ole Miss program to a sustainable winner we haven’t seen in their history. As a program, they are recruiting at a higher level, tapping into the transfer portal, and look to continue trending upward. There’s a lot to like about the overall trajectory of the Rebels. 

That means there is going to be a lot of great things to talk about heading into the 2025 season, but some question marks do very much exist. Here are some hot takes for Ole Miss heading into the year, a couple very positive, and one not as much. 

Austin Simmons rewrites record books 

Losing a quarterback like Jaxson Dart isn’t going to be easy, especially with all of the experience under his belt. While that experience can’t be replicated in one offseason, Simmons is an even more gifted signal caller physically. Possessing a massive arm, and impressive movement skills out of the pocket, there is a lot to love about Simmons. Coach Kiffin typically likes to run the football a lot, but I could see the passing offense being the bread and butter this season. Eli Manning and Chad Kelly are tied for the single season passing touchdown record with 31, and I think Simmons could take it down this fall. 

Underrated pass catcher takes CFB by storm

Until recently, I hadn’t seen much of Oklahoma State wide receiver transfer De’Zhaun Stribling. He is coming off of a really nice season for the Cowboys, hauling in 52 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns. Stribling plays bigger than his listed size, and is also a really precise route runner as well. While he might not get the notoriety of a Tre Harris, it’s very possible that Stribling can have pretty similar production in 2025. If he becomes the go to target for Simmons, he could also burst on to the national scene. Stribling is one of the best kept secrets in college football. 

Defense takes massive step back 

When you think about Ole Miss football under Coach Kiffin, offense is always going to dominate the conversation. The 2024 version of the Rebels was buoyed by the defense, which finished second in the entire country only allowing 14.4 points per game. The defensive line was also spectacular, collecting 51 quarterback sacks. With so much defensive turnover, it is highly likely that the unit takes a sizable step back. I’m predicted it to be even larger than some think, and the defense could surrender north of 20 points per game in 2025.