Who is the Best Quarterback Who Played for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss?

Ex-head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, Lane Kiffin, did a lot for the Rebels while he was in Oxford.

He’ll probably tell people he did it all himself. Well, unfortunately for Kiffin’s ego, that's just not the truth.

He had four quarterbacks who came in and played a very important role in his success in Oxford.

Here are those quarterbacks ranked.

#4 Austin Simmons

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons runs the ball | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The former Ole Miss quarterback did not see the field as much as he would have liked while he was a Rebel, but still made an impact when he saw it.

The first impactful appearance he made was against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024. Early in the first quarter, the starter Jaxson Dart had to sit out a drive because of an ankle injury. The Rebels were down by seven and needed to answer quickly before the game got out of reach.

Simmons came in and led a crucial touchdown drive. This included converting a huge fourth and one on the Bulldogs' side of the field.

In 2025, Simmons was supposed to be the starter for the Rebels. After an ankle injury and the emergence of Trinidad Chambliss, Simmons was sidelined for the rest of the year.

Simmons did start the first two games of the season and got a very important win against a team that spoiled their playoff run just a year before. The Rebels were heading into their first SEC matchup of the year after pummeling Georgia State.

Simmons led Ole Miss to a win against the Kentucky Wildcats. He threw for 235 yards and had avenged a team that was upset at home by the Wildcats last year.

Simmons' career at Ole Miss ended poorly. In their playoff game against Tulane, he got the chance to lead a drive right before the first half ended. He started off great, completing four passes for 64 yards.

He was then stripped sacked and would never see the field as a Rebel again. It felt like Simmons just never fit in at Ole Miss. He is now at the University of Missouri, but he will be remembered for the impactful moments he had while he was a Rebel.

#3 Trinidad Chambliss

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passes the ball during a college football game | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Trinidad Chambliss had a great season under Coach Kiffin. He went 9-1, passed for 2900 yards, and scored a total of 23 touchdowns. Chambliss also got two wins against top 15 teams.

His best moment was when he beat the then number four ranked LSU at home. It was his first matchup against an SEC-ranked opponent, and he shone. He threw for 314 yards and a touchdown.

This was an early tell that Chambliss was going to be a great starter for the Rebels moving forward.

Chambliss cannot go any higher than three on this list because Kiffin was not his coach in the playoffs. His playoff run was historic and was the first of its kind for any Ole Miss quarterback.

Rest assured Ole Miss fans that he will be back in 2026 with a coach who doesn’t care more about himself than the team or hot yoga.

#2 Matt Corral

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Matt Corral makes a throw against the Baylor Bears | Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

Matt Corral had a great career at Ole Miss. While he was a Rebel, he threw for 8,287 yards and 57 touchdowns.

In 2020, he led his squad to win the Outback Bowl against the then-ranked number 11 Indiana Hoosiers.

His best year came in 2021. He went 10-2 and got his second Egg Bowl win. His season would unfortunately end short when he got injured in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which Ole Miss would lose to Baylor 21-7.

His 10-2 season was a huge leap forward for the Rebels program, and enticed a freshman from USC to transfer and follow in his footsteps.

#1 Jaxson Dart

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart runs the ball | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart is easily the best quarterback from the Kiffin era. He spent three years in Oxford and shone. He became the all-time passing leader in Ole Miss history, surpassing Eli Manning with 10,617 yards. He also has the most wins of any Rebel quarterback with 28.

Dart's best season was 2023 when he led Ole Miss to a win in the Chick-Fil-A peach bowl against then number ten ranked Penn State.

His two best moments were against LSU in 2023 and Georgia in 2024.

Dart scored a total of five touchdowns against LSU in a 55-49 shootout that went the Rebels' way. He threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns. The Ole Miss faithful couldn't contain themselves and stormed the field after this upset.

In 2024, Jaxson Dart beat the Georgia Bulldogs 28-10 and kept the Rebels' playoff hopes alive. This was only the second time in Ole Miss history that they had beaten Georgia. This historic moment also led to the fans rushing the field and partying all night long on the square.

People can say what they want about Lane Kiffin, but he is truly an honest man and a great coach. Okay, sorry about that, just the writer having a little bit of fun. However, he did have some great quarterback talent that helped shape this program to where it is today.

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