Ole Miss flips UF quarterback commit Austin Simmons.

In last week’s recruiting roundup, I mentioned a new name that had popped up on the radar for Ole Miss: class of 2025 quarterback Austin Simmons, who at the time was committed to the University of Florida. The interesting thing about Simmons was that he had the ability to jump up either one or two classes, allowing him to join a college program as soon as this summer. I don’t really get how that’s possible, but congrats, my dude. Anyways, Simmons on Saturday announced two big decisions: he will reclassify to the class of 2023, and has switched his commitment to Ole Miss. I don’t know if he has to sign a letter of intent since he’s signing so late, but with other freshmen already moving onto campus and starting team activities, it seems safe to say that Simmons’ recruitment is over and he’ll report to Oxford shortly.

As is often the case with younger recruits, Simmons’ measurables are a little different depending on where you look. His Sophomore season Hudl highlights list him at 6’3, 195 lbs, which looks about right on tape. A product of Moore Haven HS in Pahokee, Florida, Simmons threw for 3,252 yards, 27 TDs, and a 67% completion percentage (per his Hudl).

Speaking of that Hudl tape… Austin Simmons looks fantastic, in my opinion. When classified as a 2025 recruit, he was a consensus top-100 overall player, though it’s difficult to determine how much he would move down in the rankings when rated as a 2023. Even so, it’s really hard to believe that these are the highlights of a Sophomore QB. On that note, I’ve read that Simmons isn’t the same age as most Sophomores, for whatever reason, and is either 18 or about to become 18. So his joining an SEC program after his Sophomore year doesn’t seem quite as crazy.

Back to the Hudl tape: a rare left-handed passer, Simmons throws absolute ropes, with a smooth, quick release and seemingly very little effort. Obviously, these highlights are going to showcase his best throws, but his arm talent is very apparent. He shows the ability to throw receivers open, has some really phenomenal placement, shows nice touch on short and long throws, and knows how much air to put under the ball. He doesn’t look like an electric runner, but has decent speed and looks pretty efficient and effective as a rusher.

With a deep and talented QB room, Simmons will of course redshirt in 2023, but his signing is still a huge deal, and could represent a big shakeup of future plans for Ole Miss at the quarterback position.