Austin Simmons reacts to Tua Tagovailoa comparisons: 'That's been an entire life type of thing'

Growing up, Austin Simmons played two sports: baseball and football. He chose the latter in college, though, and will now look to succeed Jaxson Dart as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback.

As he embarked on his football journey, Simmons drew comparisons to Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa starred at Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to a national title, Simmons was in junior high in his home state of Florida.

It was then, he said, the Tagovailoa comps started. He also heard Michael Vick as a name people point to while evaluating his skillset.

“I’m really just a me-guy, honestly,” Simmons said on The Paul Finebaum Show. I just focus on myself. People will often compare me to Tua or Michael Vick. … Only certain quarterbacks that [I] could really watch that I could really translate my game to. But overall, people just say I look like Tua from Alabama, for some reason.”

Tagovailoa, of course, had a decorated career in Tuscaloosa. He helped lead Alabama to a national title in 2017 and won SEC Offensive Player of the Year the following season. He then headed to the Dolphins as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

All the while, Simmons was working his way up at Pahokee (Fla.) Moore Haven Junior/Senior, where he was a four-star recruit. He was the No. 266 overall player and No. 19-ranked quarterback out of the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Throughout his high school career and into college, Simmons heard the comparisons to Tagovailoa. He called it “kind of weird,” though.

“That’s been an entire life type of thing,” Simmons said. “I’ve been compared to Tua since I was in middle school, and that’s been kind of weird to me.”

Austin Simmons will now look to follow in Jaxson Dart’s footsteps as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback after he headed to the New York Giants in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s already well on his way to success off the field, too. At just 19 years old, he already has his bachelor’s degree, and the hype continues to grow about his potential at quarterback this season.

“I’ve got the little hype going,” Simmons told On3’s Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman on Andy & Ari On3 last month. “Now I’ve just got to go out there next season and perform.”