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Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Earns Praise for His Recent Commitment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Feb 7, 2025 9:35 PM ET

Jaxson Dart has been under center for the Ole Miss Rebels in every game since he won the starting job before the 2022 season. With Dart headed to the 2025 NFL Draft, Lane Kiffin and his staff will have to pivot to another quarterback to build off of the momentum from the Dart era.

Austin Simmons should be the heir to the throne in Oxford and would be tasked with taking the program to new heights. Simmons, who has been a dual-sport athlete for the Rebels, just recently quit the Ole Miss baseball team to focus more on being the starting quarterback.

"He's taking control of the team," same one teammate who spoke to 247Sports. "That's what we need from our quarterback."

Simmons is not guaranteed to become the starter next Fall, but he was the team's backup quarterback in 2024 and saw action in a few games. Though he played sparingly, the left-handed quarterback completed 19 of his 32 pass attempts for 282 yards and two touchdowns.

He also had an impressive sequence when he was thrown into the game against Georgia, completing five of six passes for 64 yards. Simmons looked comfortable against Kirby Smart's defense and should grow immensely this offseason with extended time at the Manning Center.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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