Ole Miss football's 24-21 win was a close upset that the Rebels barely escaped. However, it was nothing that Lane Kiffin hadn't seen before.
Almost the same pattern as the last season, where the Rebels had shocking upset losses after a few good weeks. Just this time, they managed to hold off the Cougars to score a win.
And maybe, this is exactly the type of situation that Kiffin was keeping his options open for.
"Yeah, he is closer to getting back on the field. He is continuing to get closer to 100%," has kind of become Kiffin's go-to answer whenever addressing any question that has the word 'Austin Simmons' and 'starting QB' in it.
During the two games he played, Simmons hasn't been half bad. Although QB Trinidad Chambliss had unprecedented success in his first three starts, his fourth one against Washington State was quite a topsy-turvy ride.
Both Chambliss and the Rebels' offense struggled in red zone efficiency, with Chambliss's inaccurate red zone pass in the early first half. Even though he made it up (barely) later with two more touchdowns, the first missed touchdown was the key behind Wazzy getting an early lead in the game.
I posted about this yesterday, but the leadership qualities displayed by Austin Simmons continue to impress me.
— Caleb Salers (@CalebSalersST) September 30, 2025
Earlier today, the 19-year-old took to Instagram to hype up Trinidad Chambliss, who has been a shining star these past three Ole Miss games. pic.twitter.com/8Ggf3kOkSd
Ole Miss enters their toughest stretch of their schedule of this season, and keeping Simmons on standby for a situation where Chambliss starts crumbling, like he almost did against Wazzu, might save the day for the Rebels.
Ever since QB Austin Simmons injured his ankle in Week 2, QB Trinidad Chambliss has kept Ole Miss afloat. Yet, a game like Georgia isn't one where you can take chances., keeping Simmons around, be it starting QB or backup, will be the safest bet.
And that comes with Ole Miss possibly having Simmons around for 2026 and beyond. Both Chambliss and Simmons will become NFL draft eligible next season. In case Chambliss decides to move to the NFL, Kiffin will have an experienced QB in Simmons, whom he can count on for his formidable-looking roster.
Four interceptions in just two starts took the shine out of Simmons' beating Georgia State and Kentucky with a combined 576 yards and scoring four touchdowns. But it is not something Kiffin will overlook.
Kiffin will most likely want to see Simmons start a game once he is 100% healthy before deciding between his two quarterbacks.