Austin Simmons reappears for Ole Miss in goal-line package vs. Georgia
Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons has been ‘healthy enough to play’ for weeks, according to head coach Lane Kiffin.
However, he’s been relegated to the bench due to the meteoric rise of his backup, Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss is undefeated in four starts and made his fifth straight at No. 9 Georgia on Saturday.
Simmons injured his ankle against Kentucky and re-aggravated the sprain against Arkansas. His foot is heavily taped, which will be the case all year.
Kiffin told ESPN prior to kickoff in Athens both Ole Miss quarterbacks ‘are ready to play,’ though ‘Trinidad is going to go first.’
Chambliss is off to a hot start. He’s 14 for 20 for 137 yards and has rushed five times for 18 yards and a touchdown. No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) leads Georgia (5-1, 3-1), 21-20, at halftime. The Rebels last won in Athens in 1996.
The game’s first five possessions resulted in points. The Ole Miss defense put forth a first-half effort akin to the ugly first two quarters in a win over Arkansas. The Rebels allowed 251 total yards (154 passing, 97 rushing) and points on all four of Georgia’ first-half possessions. They also gave up eight plays of 10 yards or more. Four were explosives.
But the offense is firing on all cylinders. Chambliss led three touchdown drives of 14, 10 and 11 plays.
And Simmons finally made his first significant appearance in a while.
He came in for two goal-line plays — one as a wide receiver in a trick-play variation, and the other as the quarterback for a touchdown plunge by running back Kewan Lacy, the SEC’s second-leading rusher.
Simmons, on the second, motioned Chambliss into the formation from wide receiver. Both bailed for a direct snap to Lacy, who scored riding a surge from a dominant Ole Miss offense line.
“We’re in a great place,” Kiffin said earlier this month. “I mean, we have two great quarterbacks. I think we have two quarterbacks that are better than a lot of people’s number one. And so, it’s awesome to be in this position.”
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Simmons opened the 2025-26 season as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback.
He was 2-0 with wins over Georgia State and Kentucky before the injury took him out. Simmons completed 33 of 55 passes for 576 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. He threw a pair of picks in each of the first two games.
Simmons appeared against Arkansas and completed his only pass attempt for a one-yard touchdown.
He hasn’t been seen since — outside of warming up on the sidelines as the backup the last few weeks, including Washington State.
“Austin has been a stud,” Kiffin said after the Rebels’ 24-19 win over then-No. 4 LSU. “Battling his way back through injury, being ready to play today. He would have done a great job. If he was fully healthy, he would have went in there.
“And, you know, says a lot about him, because that’s not easy. It’s not easy. You’ve been waiting to be the starter for a couple years, waiting for Jaxson [Dart] to leave. And so, really proud of him in how he’s handled that.”
Chambliss, an off-season addition from Division-II Ferris State, has totaled 1,567 total yards (1,286 passing, 281 rushing) and 10 touchdowns (seven passing, three rushing) this season. He’s completed 65.4 percent (85 for 130) of his passes and leads the SEC in both yards per completion and yards per attempt.
Chambliss against Washington State became the first Ole Miss quarterback to throw for 250 yards or more through their first four starts since Eli Manning in 2001.
