Lane Kiffin Sends 4-Word Message to Ole Miss Recruits, Austin Simmons Talks Team Culture

"I'd say my connection to the school is pretty strong. There's constant support around this program," Simmons said. "I just love this whole community by itself. Without sports, I would still go to this school. Really it's just the environment, all the support, all the constant support you get. And I can go to Walmart or go to Kroger right now and just get noticed by people, and they'll tell me they're excited for next season. It's just a great feeling just going out and having people let you know that they have your back, no matter what. It's just a great feeling, and I love this school."

Simmons stands at 6-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. He completed 19-of-32 passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns during his freshman campaign. He also rushed the football five times for 14 yards. 

Kiffin recruited Simmons out of the Miami area to replace Dart, who will compete against Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston for starting reps with the New York Giants during his rookie campaign in the NFL. 

Ole Miss finished last season 10-3 and was likely one loss away from a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The Rebels went 11-2 the year prior and own a record of 44-18 during Kiffin's tenure at the helm.