Every season under Lane Kiffin, it has felt as if Ole Miss has been knocking on the door of playing for an SEC Championship and a National Championship. The 2024 season was the closest the Rebels have come as Kiffin's transfer dominated roster went 10-3 and 5-3 in the SEC. The downside with how Lane Kiffin builds his rosters is that there's constant turnover as his transfers depart for the NFL which makes it hard to build continuity.
As Lane Kiffin looks to finally earn his way into the College Football Playoff, this roster rebuild is the toughest one he has had at Ole Miss. One of the biggest reasons this rebuild is Kiffin's toughest yet, is the fact that he has to replace his starting quarterback with Jaxson Dart off to the NFL. One of the biggest surprises to many is the fact that despite constantly adding transfers, Lane Kiffin didn't add experience at quarterback.
Austin Simmons could be Lane Kiffin's most talented starter ever
As the Ole Miss Rebels head into the 2025 season, they'll hand the keys of the offense over to Austin Simmons. Thus far, Austin Simmons has attempted just 32 passes for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns which makes him a relative unknown. The reason to be excited about Austin Simmons is the fact that he was thrust into action against Georgia and effortlessly marched the Rebels' offense down the field for a touchdown.
This Austin Simmons throw… pic.twitter.com/eNCUulBFeB
— T.J. (@TJOxley1) May 23, 2025
At the Manning Passing Academy, Austin Simmons caught the eyes of another Ole Miss legend in Eli Manning.
"He’s here, he wants to learn, absorb anything he can from Peyton (Manning) and I and some other quarterbacks. I’ve been impressed so far with what he’s doing."Eli Manning
While the glimpses from Austin Simmons have been brief, it's impossible not to get excited about what he's shown. When Simmons came into the game with Jaxson Dart injured, the offense operated the best it looked throughout SEC play.
In his limited snaps, Austin Simmons has shown a great ability to make every throw accurately with great anticipation, whether it was fitting a deep ball perfectly between two defenders against Duke, a deep ball touchdown against Furman, a comeback throw against Georgia, or a pressure throw on 4th down in the Georgia game.
The part of Austin Simmons' game that has the potential to be game-changing for Lane Kiffin is his ability to run. While Jaxson Dart was always solid running the ball, Simmons has the ability to be a truly dynamic threat that Kiffin can scheme up designed runs for.
If Ole Miss is going to finally knock down the door and make it into the College Football Playoff, the Rebels will need Austin Simmons to play at a high level. As Ole Miss replaces some of the best players in the Country, the talent level as a whole may take a step back. Austin Simmons has the talent and tools to be the type of player that helps Ole Miss win without its best roster, which would be one of the biggest surprises of the season.