SEC Quarterback Enters Transfer Portal With Mizzou Listed as Favorite, per Report

The Tigers may have their competition in the quarterback room, per a ESPN report.

Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) waits for the snap during the second quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons entered the transfer portal with a no-contact tag on Friday afternoon. According to a report from Pete Thamel, the Missouri Tigers are the favorite to land the services of Simmons. He's expected to stick with Ole Miss through their College Football Playoff run.

Simmons is entering the portal as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.

NEWS: Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per an ESPN source. He’s entering with a no contact tag, with Missouri as the favorite to land him. He’s expected to stay with Ole Miss through the CFP. pic.twitter.com/z7B6jaNhz6

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 2, 2026

Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Missouri is the only team to watch in the recruitment of Simmons.

Simmons threw for 744 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions this season for the Rebels. Simmons spent most of the season with an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 2 against Kentucky. Trinidad Chambliss stepped up in the place of Simmons, taking his starting spot and emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Simmons did appear in Ole Miss's opening game of the College Football Playoff against Tulane, where he threw for 64 yards on 4-for-5 passing. His most notable performance of the season was against Georgia State in Week 1, where he threw for 341 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 64.5% passing.

The Miami native played sparingly in 2024, playing behind now-NFL quarterback Jaxson Dart. Simmons threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns in seven appearances that year.

A former four-star recruit in the class of 2023, Simmons reclassed into the 2023 cycle to join the Rebels. He was ranked the No. 292 player in the class and No. 19 of all quarterbacks nationally. He did not receive an offer from Missouri out of high school, but did have a plethora of Power 4 offers to his name, including Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Indiana, Auburn, Colorado and others.

Simmons was also on the Ole Miss baseball roster in 2024 as a pitcher. He pitched in nine games, registering 20 strikeouts and allowing nine hits and seven runs. He finished with a record of 2-0.

With the transfer portal opening on Friday, Simmons is the third quarterback the Tigers are said to have shown interest in. The first two were Kennesaw State sophomore Amari Odom and Florida sophomore DJ Lagway. As of now, the interest in Simmons seems to be the most intense.

The Tigers managed to retain true freshman Matt Zollers at the quarterback spot this offseason, while losing senior Beau Pribula to the transfer portal. It seems as if the Tigers may be willing to add more than one in the portal, offering competition to Zollers for next season and depth in the room in general.