The much-awaited LSU week is finally here, and the most important question for Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin is who will be his starting QB this week.
Austin Simmons is still down from the ankle injury he suffered in Week 2, making Trinidad Chambliss the safest bet.
But a pending availability report could mean there is a slim chance of Simmons starting. When asked about it, the Rebels' Coach Lane Kiffin stated outright what it will boil down to.
"Health for sure," Kiffin said when asked about the factor that will decide this week's starter. "To see if Austin's at 100%. These guys (LSU) are really good and they're loaded on defense. They're the best they've been on defense since we played them, obviously, with the acquisitions that we talked about and really shutting down the run."
"We'll have to evaluate (Simmons') health and then make a decision. Today was just a walkthrough, so not enough to evaluate. But at 100% he was our starting quarterback. But we don't know what percentage he'll be."
A back-and-forth game in Oxford!
— All College Football (@All_CFBNews) September 14, 2025
Austin Simmons finds Harrison Wallace III in the back of the endzone for a 4-yard TD, retaking the lead 28-21.
pic.twitter.com/bIRaMNDMa0
Simmons came in with a decent pre-season hype surrounding him, and he was on the right path with 576 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games before things went left.
Chambliss, on the other hand, put up equally laudable numbers in all four games, two as Simmons' backup and the other two as the starter. The Grand Rapids, MI native finished week 4 with 719 yards for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Simmons reportedly aggravated his injury when he tried to play against Arkansas in Week 3, where he threw for a brief 4-yard touchdown before heading back to the sideline.
The final injury report will tell whether Simmons' injury got any better in Week 4.