Ole Miss Football Surging Into Top-25 Post-Spring Rankings With Latest Prediction

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated May 12, 2025 1:26 PM ET

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels will flaunt a new-look roster in Oxford in 2025 with all eyes on starting quarterback Austin Simmons.

Simmons, who's set to replace record-setting signal-caller Jaxson Dart, is fresh off of his first Spring Camp as QB1 for the Rebels.

Ole Miss' quarterback is handling his business both on and off of the gridiron with his efforts earning the respect of his teammates and head coach.

"I think (Simmons) has done a really good job spending time with players," Lane Kiffin said during spring camp. "He's always out trying to throw extra with them. He's got a hard act to follow."

Kiffin has praised his young signal-caller, but Simmons' teammates have also provided rave reviews.

"I've seen Austin really step up. Just being a leader he always wants to put in work, he always wants to throw with the receivers and always wanting to get meshes with me. He's becoming a leader, he's taking control of the team. That's what we need from our quarterback," senior running back Domonique Thomas told 247Sports.

Simmons arrived in Oxford as a dual-sport athlete after shining as a pitcher for the Ole Miss baseball program, but has now elected to put his full focus on football.

But he's still seeing how time consuming it is to be the starting quarterback for an SEC program.

"Things are more time consuming. You have more responsibilities outside the facility… I really want to prioritize the reason why I came here, and that's to be a great football player and win a national championship," Simmons said during Spring camp.

"I'll do whatever it takes to reach those goals, trying to minimize distractions outside the facility."

Now, the early predictions are favoring the Rebels in the Top-25 as the post-Jaxson Dart era is set to begin.

On3 Sports' Ari Wasserman revealed his latest Top-25 with the Ole Miss Rebels coming in at No. 19.

"A year ago at this time, Ole Miss was the team who spent a boatload of money in the NIL space to go all-in on the 2024 season. The Rebels drubbed Georgia at home at the end of last season, but choked one off against Florida after and didn’t even make the CFP.

"But in that Georgia game you got a glimpse of the future in quarterback , who may actually be a star. Ole Miss has something to prove, though it comes into the season with much less fanfare than it had last fall."