Lane Kiffin compares Austin Simmons to Nick Saban's 7442-yard, 87-TD Alabama QB as Ole Miss QB looks to fill Jaxson Dart's shoes

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin has drawn a comparison between his new starting quarterback, Austin Simmons, and former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Simmons is expected to step up to the starting quarterback role this season after two seasons in the background.

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As per Justin Williams' column in The Athletic from last week, Kiffin expressed confidence in Simmons’ ability to carry the team, saying (via The New York Times):

“I actually said that to Coach Saban on the phone the other day, just in terms of composure, they’re both left-handed, smooth. I’ve even said Austin kind of looks like a taller Tua. Austin is just calm. Really, really calm. We talk a lot with our quarterbacks that when emotions go up, decision-making goes down. So to have that calm demeanor about him is really helpful.”

Tua Tagovailoa played for Nick Saban’s Alabama from 2017 to 2019, totaling 7,442 passing yards and 87 touchdowns.

Kiffin also praised Austin Simmons’ development and his father’s role in his maturity.

“I promise I don’t mean this in a negative way, but being around it and seeing how much his dad had worked with him, it was like he created a machine, especially when you add the baseball part of it," he added.

A look at Austin Simmons’ journey to becoming Ole Miss Rebels’ starting quarterback

Austin Simmons is a two-sport athlete who also plays baseball. After his true freshman season, failing to pick up an appearance as the Rebels’ third-string quarterback, he played for the Rebels’ baseball team. He was a relief pitcher for the team, appearing in 13 games.

As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Simmons was a backup to Jaxson Dart, and he played in nine games. He threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. However, with the weight of his new role, more is expected from him. His father, David, is one of his biggest cheerleaders. As per Justin Williams' column, David said:

“I expect Austin to be All-SEC player of the year. I expect the team to be really good. He might be one of the smartest kids I’ve ever seen in terms of being a quarterback. And I’m talking NFL guys too. Guys who have gold jackets, he’s probably smarter than them. He just makes the team better. If a team can win seven games, he’ll make them win 10.”

Simmons will lead Ole Miss’ offense when they kick off their season against Georgia State on Aug. 30.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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Edited by Parag Jain