After days of speculation, Missouri has finally locked in their quarterback of the future with the commitment of Austin Simmons. While the former Ole Miss quarterback was injured, and subsequently replaced by Trinidad Chambliss in 2025, he's still got all the tools to be a successful player with the right situation. So, here's three reasons why Simmons the perfect fit for Mizzou.
1. Rocket arm
Simmons has elite arm talent, and the explosiveness he provides in the passing game can help to lighten the boxes stacked against star rusher Ahmad Hardy. Last year's Beau Pribula did little to dissuade defenses from honing on Hardy, but Simmons' cannon of an arm will force them to respect his deep ball. Now paired with new speedster Caleb Goodie, this offense has the beginnings of something special.
2. Value
Due to Simmons injury history and lack of experience, Mizzou likely got him at a bit of a discount compared to other top names in the portal. So while Simmons has all the tools to become a top-five quarterback in the country, there were plenty of teams unwilling to take the time, or the risk, in developing him. Eli Drinkwitz now has his guy, and now priority No. 1 is taken care of for Missouri. Hopefully the Tigers can put their newfound savings to good use, say, for a right tackle.
3. Pairing with Chip Lindsey
Lindsey has a strong history of developing quarterbacks, including NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye. While everyone can agree that Simmons needs some polishing, it would be hard to find a better coordinator to guide his path. Simmons graduated high school at just 16 years old, and has all the mental and physical tools to become elite. Lindsey's track history should instill a lot of confidence in fans that it can become a reality.