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Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Is Working on His Master’s — and the Starting Job — at 19
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- Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Is Working on His Master’s — and the Starting Job — at 19
Austin Simmons would have graduated from Pahokee High School in Florida earlier this week. But two years ago, the two-sport athlete chose to get ahead of the game and launch his collegiate career early.
Simmons — who reclassified from the high school class of 2025 to 2023 — recently graduated from Ole Miss at age 19 with his bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies. Now, he's continuing his accelerated track by pursuing a master's degree in sports management as he prepares to take over as the Rebels' starting quarterback in the fall.
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The choice to adjust his arrival time on campus afforded Simmons two years to familiarize himself with coach Lane Kiffin's high-octane offense. Simmons sat behind Jaxson Dart , learning from the program's all-time leading passer as Ole Miss enjoyed its most successful two-season stretch in school history. Now with Dart off to the NFL, Simmons is set to start under center for a Rebels team with College Football Playoff aspirations .
"I feel as though we can do whatever we want this upcoming season," Simmons told Athlon Sports. "We can accomplish anything — definitely have the talent. We definitely have the coaches. Anything is possible in this program."
Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) graduated high school two years early and already has earned his bachelor's degree.Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
At No. 14, Ole Miss barely missed the cut in the CFP committee's final rankings last December. One-possession losses to Kentucky, LSU (in overtime) and Florida ultimately kept the Rebels out of the first 12-team field. But they also picked up a season-defining win over then-No. 3 Georgia, a game that saw Simmons briefly relieve an injured Dart and lead a touchdown drive.
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Simmons says he learned to put everything on the line, put his team first and get everyone involved from Dart, who was selected by the New York Giants with the 25th pick in April's NFL Draft.
The Georgia game was Simmons' most high-profile playing time to date, but he appeared in nine games as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He returns to lead a largely new-look offense that reloaded with a star-studded transfer portal class , a common occurrence for Kiffin's teams.
Simmons played an active part in the recruiting process for Ole Miss' 29-player portal haul, which includes wide receivers Harrison Wallace III (Penn State), De'Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State), running back Damien Taylor (Troy) and reinforcements along the offensive line.
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"It's still a learning process for everyone," Simmons said. "They're still catching the grasp of the whole program, getting used to all the new coaches, the new scheme, and of course just the offense on its own. It's a lot of detail to really remember, but this is why we have the offseason. We're just gonna get to know each other even more and build a strong connection."
Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons (13) has been in coach Lane Kiffin's system for two years.Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Simmons says he's still working on strengthening that connection with Kiffin, whom he called an "offensive mastermind."
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"He just puts you in the right spots," Simmons said of Kiffin. "He sees the game from a different perspective. He knows exactly what he wants, exactly what he wants out of a certain defense, what plays he wants. It's great to have that type of offensive mind in your corner, so you're good no matter what."
The Rebels' finished second nationally in yards per game (526.6) and third in points per game (38.6) in 2024 as Dart earned first team All-SEC honors. After three years of stability under center with Dart — and two years before that with Matt Corral — they're hopeful the offense continues to execute at a high level with the shift to Simmons, who made the uncommon move to reclassify by two years.
Simmons would have been among the top prospects in the 2025 high school class with the likes of Bryce Underwood (Michigan) and Keelon Russell (Alabama). Instead, he was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class, a group headlined by Arch Manning (Texas) and Nico Iamaleava, who started at Tennessee and has since transferred to UCLA.
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Clearly, Simmons is taking a unique path, and he's already ahead of schedule in the classroom, an accomplished quarterback and — formerly — a standout on the pitching mound.
Austin Simmons entered Ole Miss as a two-sport athlete, but he's since stopped playing baseball to focus on football.Evan Farrell
As he prepares to enter the starting lineup on the gridiron, Simmons has stepped away from the diamond to focus on football full-time. He made 13 relief appearances for the Rebels' baseball team in 2024.
"When you're a pitcher, basically nothing really fazed me when I got in those high-pressure situations," Simmons said. "I'd be fine whenever, if I ever had to go in the bottom of the ninth, close out a game or something like that — I'll be fine. It's just good to have that type of poise and understanding of the situation."
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That's a skill that will serve him well on the football field, where Simmons will be in high-pressure situations seemingly every Saturday as Ole Miss navigates the grind of an SEC schedule and the weight of playoff expectations.
Related: SEC Football: Way-Too-Early 2025 QB Rankings
