It seems the Ole Miss Rebels are preparing for a new "biggest game" every week, and this weekend's battle with Missouri is no exception. While Missouri is an up-and-coming SEC contender, the Tigers also give the Rebels a look at some of what they lost leading up to the 2026 season.
Former Rebels Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and Chris Graves Jr. all departed for Columbia, MO, after the Rebels reached the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Trinidad Chambliss' eligibility appeal played a major role in Simmons' decision to switch to Mizzou, while Lee faced his own uncertainty about whether he could play another year alongside Chambliss.
Pete Golding addressed the departures Monday, offering new insight into how the unresolved appeals influenced two players who had spent multiple seasons in Oxford. With the No. 13 Tigers preparing to visit Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the Rebels will face two familiar faces whose decisions to leave were shaped, in part, by questions about their futures at Ole Miss.
How Trinidad Chambliss' Eligibility Uncertainty Changed Ole Miss' Plans
Golding’s comments clearly explained the uncertainty Simmons faced as he considered his future. With Chambliss’ eligibility appeal still unresolved, Simmons had to weigh staying at Ole Miss against the risk of waiting for a decision that could affect his playing opportunities. Simmons, who had already seen Chambliss take his spot in week two, left for Mizzou, not wanting to risk riding the pine for another season.
“You play quarterback. We play one of them. An appeal process is going on. He couldn’t take that risk,” Golding said Monday.
The decision carried consequences for both sides. Simmons ultimately moved to Missouri, where he has continued his development at quarterback, while Ole Miss had to move forward without a player who had spent time in its program. The uncertainty surrounding Chambliss complicated the situation, particularly for a quarterback whose playing opportunities depended on how the eligibility question was resolved.
While it is no doubt that Chambliss, one of the current Heisman frontrunners, would have maintained his role as the Rebels' starter this season had Simmons of stayed, retaining a player like Simmons who had developed in the program, graduated early from the university and become beloved by fans would have been a huge plus.
Seeing Simmons flourish is CoMo, the pain of his departure gets that much worse.
A Risk Not Worth Taking
Golding also explained that Lee faced a similar dilemma. The wide receiver had spent multiple seasons at Ole Miss, but the unresolved appeal made it difficult to determine his role moving forward.
“[Cayden Lee] Wasn’t comfortable yet knowing whether the appeal was going to go through or not. Did he really want to risk the season based on that?” Golding said of Lee’s decision. “He was scared to go through the spring to find out.”
Lee, heading into his senior season, could not take the risk of seeing a relegated role under the uncertainty that followed Chambliss and, moreover, what the Rebels would look like in 2026.
Golding said he understood why both players chose to leave and emphasized that their departures were handled professionally.
“So I understood it. I got it. We’d have loved, obviously, to still have him,” Golding said of Lee.
Golding's comments suggest the departures weren't simply players leaving the program. Instead, uncertainty over Chambliss’ status forced Simmons and Lee to make career decisions before Ole Miss had a definitive answer on its quarterback situation.
While it will be great to see Simmons and Lee back in the Vaught, it'll be the first time many Ole Miss fans' hopes won't align with those of the two former Rebel fan favorites.
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