The current season for Ole Miss hasn’t ended yet, but work is already starting on next year’s team.
One big question that remains unanswered is who will be the Rebels’ starting quarterback in 2026?
Current starter Trinidad Chambliss is still waiting for a decision on his waiver for an extra year of eligibility. Until that decision is rendered, he can’t be counted on.
Now neither can the quarterback who began the 2025 season as the Ole Miss starting quarterback.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Austin Simmons has entered the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag and that Missouri is favored to land Simmons. Thamel added that Simmons is expected to remain with Ole Miss through its CFP run.
NEWS: Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per an ESPN source. He’s entering with a no contact tag, with Missouri as the favorite to land him. He’s expected to stay with Ole Miss through the CFP. pic.twitter.com/z7B6jaNhz6
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 2, 2026
Simmons started the first two games of the season for Ole Miss against Georgia Southern and Kentucky, but suffered an injury that prevented him from playing the following week against Kentucky.
That’s all Chambliss needed to take over the starting job and lead the Rebels to a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Simmons officially played in eight games, including the final series of the first half in the Rebels’ first round playoff game against Tulane. He finished the season 45-of-75 for 744 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had 22 carries for 71 yards and one touchdown.
Simmons will have two years of eligibility remaining.
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Simmons’ decision to enter the transfer portal isn’t surprising. It wasn’t exactly expected since there’s a chance Ole Miss may need a starting quarterback next fall.
However, this doesn’t exactly mean Chambliss has been given some indication that his waiver will be granted. But Simmons deciding to leave Ole Miss before an announcement on Chambliss’s situation could be interpreted in that way.
The NCAA was closed for the holidays until Friday when the transfer portal opened. Chambliss is hoping to hear an answer soon.
“Hopefully we hear your answer soon,” Chambliss said after Ole Miss beat Georgia 39-34 on Thursday night. “I got I got people working on it. I’m not the one that’s working on it. My job right now is to focus on football and focus on this team and focus on being 1-0 in the next game. So, that’s my main focus right now.”
Should Chambliss be granted another year of eligibility, there’s no guarantee he’ll return to Ole Miss next season. He may test the “free agency” waters or maybe not.
Maybe the NCAA waits a while longer to render a decision and some of the best chairs will have already been taken when the music starts for Chambliss.
