Austin Simmons Draws Tua Tagovailoa Comparisons From Anonymous Power 5 Coach

The newest addition to the Ole Miss quarterback room has drawn comparisons to a former SEC starter and current NFL player.

The addition of Austin Simmons to the quarterback room of the Ole Miss Rebels was always going to be a big hit, but could Lane Kiffin have struck gold with his newest signal caller?

Simmons flipped from the Florida Gators to Ole Miss over the weekend, and the highly-sought-after quarterback reclassified from the 2025 recruiting cycle to 2023, becoming set to join the room in Oxford this summer. On Monday, On3 published a story where an anonymous Power Five offensive coach compared this new piece to a former SEC and current NFL quarterback, none other than Tua Tagovailoa.

“He has some Tua to him,” he said. “Really compact release. Spins the hell out of the football. Can throw the s—- out of the football. Not a freak show athlete, but a good athlete. Super smart. Great physical ability and great intangibles. He’s really talented.”

That's high praise for a player who will not have turned 18 years old by the time he reaches campus, but the 17-year old quarterback was able to jump two recruiting classes thanks to "accelerated learning" in Florida. Now, he joins a quarterback room filled with Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard, a quarterback competition that has drawn much notice around the country this offseason.

According to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Dart greatly improved this spring after an up-and-down 2022 season, so he may be in position to retain his starting spot this fall. Regardless of who wins the battle, however, the Rebels now have strong quarterbacks waiting in the wings for the foreseeable future, and Austin Simmons could play a big role in that future.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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