Missouri ends a short-lived QB competition with a huge announcement

Missouri entered spring practice with an open quarterback competition. That didn't last long. On Thursday, Mizzou made their decision, and the outcome shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

After just two weeks of practice, the Tigers will officially roll with Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons this year as their QB1. Simmons beat out Matt Zollers, Nick Evers and Gavin Sidwar for the job.

Missouri finds their guy in Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons

Although Matt Zollers opted to return to Mizzou after his true freshman season, the plan seemed to always be to have Simmons be the starter in 2026. Zollers filled in admirably for Beau Pribula at times last season, throwing for 503 yards and four touchdowns, but once Simmons was signed, the writing was on the wall. Still, his future at Missouri remains bright, but it'll be the transfer from Ole Miss who gets the keys this year.

Meanwhile, Simmons has just 107 career attempts, and has had issues staying healthy. But his rocket arm and raw talent are too much to ignore. Missouri is hoping that, paired with the best running back tandem in the nation in Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts, Simmons can thrive in a newly revamped offense under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

While this decision isn't a shocking one, it did come maybe a bit faster than fans were expecting. After just 13 practices, Simmons is the guy. The lefty hasn't played much ball at the college level, but barring any more injuries, Simmons can finally show what he's made of with the Tigers. He'll take the field as QB1 on Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Tigers open their season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.