"Lane Kiffin came out swinging" - CFB analyst makes feelings known on Austin Simmons filling Jaxson Dart's shoes for Ole Miss

Austin Simmons is stepping into some big shoes for the Ole Miss Rebels. The Moore Haven Junior Senior High School (Florida) product is looking to replace Jaxson Dart as Lane Kiffin's starting quarterback.

College football analyst J.D. PicKell made his feelings known on Simmons filling Dart's shoes at Ole Miss. Speaking on the On3 Sports YouTube channel on Thursday, PicKell said,

"Austin Simmons put up a Mona Lisa of a drive against Georgia when Jaxson Dart went down in the first quarter in that game a year ago. People forget that Georgia were ahead in that game when Austin Simmons came to that game down 7-0."

PicKell continued,

"The drive itself was awesome. It was a phenomenal scoring drive to tie it up. But my expectations for him, quite frankly, is more of that you saw in that drive against Georgia. Why? Because that proved to me that against five-star competition, Austin Simmons can hang. He can do it. He's got the physical tools, he got the poise. He got all those things."

PicKell concluded,

"Lane Kiffin came out swinging in that drive. They threw the football multiple times. There were a couple of big throws from Austin Simmons, one of which was a 20-yard completion. Austin Simmons was dealing on that drive and Lane Kiffin was not pulling them back. He was pushing them forward. It tells you everything you need to know about what Lane Kiffin thinks about Austin Simmons."

Jaxson Dart closed out his Ole Miss career as one of the most impactful QBs in recent program history. The New York Giants selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft as their potential long-term solution at the quarterback position.

What's next for Austin Simmons and Ole Miss?

Austin Simmons was the backup quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels in the 2024 season. He featured in nine games last season (all from the bench) as the Rebels amassed a 10-3 record. Simmons did this while playing as a relief pitcher for the Rebels baseball team.

However, he might need to dial back on his baseball commitments as he's the runaway favorite for the starting quarterback job ahead of the 2025 campaign. The expectation is that he brings his unique style of play to a Lane Kiffin side that's fresh off numerous heroic displays from Jaxson Dart.

Next up for Simmons and the Rebels is training camp. That will give the program a clearer picture of who's who in the starting lineup for the upcoming campaign.