The Rebels face a setback before the season ends.
Ole Miss loses QB to transfer portal amid CFP run originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ole Miss is pushing deeper into the College Football Playoff, but the Rebels’ quarterback room is undergoing significant change.
Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal after two seasons in Oxford, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett. The move comes as Ole Miss continues its CFP run following a quarterfinal win over Georgia.
Simmons opened the 2025 season as the Rebels’ starter and guided victories over Georgia State and Kentucky before suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter against the Wildcats.
The injury sidelined him for multiple games and opened the door for transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who led Ole Miss to four straight wins. When Simmons returned, he served as the backup as Chambliss retained the starting role.
Simmons appeared in nine games as a reserve behind Jaxson Dart in 2024, completing 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Despite limited experience, he won the starting job last spring and appeared poised for a breakout before the injury derailed his season.
A four-star prospect from Pahokee High School in Florida, Simmons famously reclassified up two full years from the Class of 2025 to 2023. A former Florida commit, he flipped to Ole Miss in June 2023 and enrolled that August.
Simmons will enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and On3’s Pete Nakos, Simmons did so with a do-not-contact tag, signaling his next destination may already be lined up.
Ole Miss next faces the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 8 in the CFP semifinal.
More college football news:
- Oregon's Dan Lanning rips College Football Playoff, calls for major changes
- Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
- Top 2026 NFL Draft prospect suffers broken rib in CFP quarterfinal loss
- ESPN's grade for LSU hiring Lane Kiffin will make Ole Miss fans even more mad
- Dabo Swinney fires Clemson coaches immediately after loss to Penn State
- Ohio State's Ryan Day faces backlash after Cotton Bowl
Category: General Sports
