Ole Miss coach Pete Golding is tasked with facing a unique situation on Saturday, Oct. 17, when he faces former Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons.
Simmons, who opened 2025 as Mississippi’s starter before being replaced by Trinidad Chambliss due to injury, is enjoying a breakout season at Missouri. The 6-foot-4 quarterback has 1,434 passing yards with 14 touchdowns to one interception this season while leading the Tigers to a 5-1 record and No. 13 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
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Golding said Ole Miss will have its hands full slowing down Simmons and Missouri’s offense on Saturday. He also said it’s a bit scary having more context than most into Simmons’ rise.
“It’s scary to know how good he is and how talented he is,” Golding said at his weekly news conference. “Love Austin, did an unbelievable job while he was here. He’s got elite arm talent, always has. More athletic than you think.
“It’s fun watching him develop as the season goes. Obviously had two games under his belt here and then got hurt. You see him getting better week-in, week-out. Relating it back to when he was here, there’s certain things you gotta go back from a scrimmage standpoint and all those things, what affected him what didn’t affect him.”
Both Golding and Missouri are hoping familiarity plays a role in the outcome of No. 13 Missouri (5-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. No. 10 Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1). Here's what to know of Simmons' reunion with the Rebels:
Why did Austin Simmons transfer from Ole Miss?
Simmons opened last season with 341 passing yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions in Ole Miss’ 63-7 win over Georgia State. Only a week later, the promising first-year starting quarterback injured his ankle against Kentucky, opening the door for Chambliss, the backup quarterback, to take the reins in Oxford.
Unfortunately for Simmons, Chambliss — a relative unknown at the time after transferring from Division II Ferris State over the offseason — never gave them back. He eventually led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals after emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
Simmons ultimately entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2 before signing with the Tigers four days later, on Jan. 6. He stayed with Ole Miss throughout its CFP run, but decided to move schools, especially with the program expecting Chambliss to gain another season of eligibility for the 2026 season at the time.
Former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who’s now at LSU, said in 2025 that Simmons and Chambliss made up "the best quarterback room in the country."
"I think Austin (Simmons) is a great quarterback, was playing really well for a first-time starter, and I think he'd be having a great year if he was still in there. I have all the confidence in the world in him," Kiffin said on Nov. 11, 2025. "So I think we have two that are better than a lot of people's No. 1."
That’s likely why Missouri was comfortable handing the offense over to a quarterback with only two career starts before 2026.
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Why did Austin Simmons choose Missouri?
It’s easy to see why Simmons wanted to attend Missouri. The left-handed quarterback has a talented arm and would be throwing to returning starter Donovan Olugbode and Cayden Lee, another Ole Miss transfer.
Simmons was also a natural scheme fit for Missouri offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who has also helped Simmons cut down on turnovers this season. Lindsey also has experience with former North Carolina first-round pick Drake Maye, another big-armed quarterback who challenged for NFL MVP in 2025.
Choosing Missouri also meant staying in the SEC, a familiar conference for Simmons. It also resulted in him having the opportunity to face not only Ole Miss, his former team, but also, potentially, LSU and Kiffin — his former coach.
Austin Simmons stats
Here are Simmons’ year-by-year totals in college football:
- 2024 (Ole Miss): 19-of-32 passing (59.4%) for 282 yards with two touchdowns; five carries for 14 yards
- 2025 (Ole Miss): 45-of-75 passing (60%) for 744 yards with four touchdowns to five interceptions; 22 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown
- 2026 (Missouri): 107-of-165 passing (64.8%) for 1,434 yards with 14 touchdowns to one interception; 17 carries for 26 yards
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pete Golding knows Austin Simmons is 'scary' as Missouri QB returns to Ole Miss