REPORT: Ole Miss QB Walker Howard to Enter Transfer Portal

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Walker Howard is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal this week.

Navy team quarterback Walker Howard (7) rolls out during Ole Miss Grove Bowl at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. on Saturday, April 15, 2023 / Bruce Newman / Special to The Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

The future at the Ole Miss Rebels' quarterback position appears to be in the hands of redshirt freshman Austin Simmons, and news broke on Sunday that a piece behind Simmons in the rotation is planning to enter the transfer portal this week.

Walker Howard, a former transfer from the LSU Tigers, is set to enter the portal, according to reports from CBS Sports. Howard suited up at LSU in the 2022 season before entering the portal in January of 2023, a path that took him to Ole Miss.

It was largely presumed that Howard and Simmons would battle it out this year for the backup and heir-apparent quarterback position behind senior Jaxson Dart, and based on snaps taken in the 2024 campaign, Simmons appears to have won that battle. Now, Howard will be seeking his third collegiate home.

Whoever manages to land Howard out of the portal will likely be getting a solid signal caller. He was rated as a four-star quarterback by On3 out of high school, earning himself the distinction of being the No. 6 quarterback nationally and No. 4 player in Louisiana in the 2022 cycle.

This also opens up a spot that the Rebels could try and fill via the portal. Ole Miss does have current freshman AJ Maddox on the roster who could serve as Simmons' understudy next season, but there is always the option that coach Lane Kiffin could opt to bring in another strong option at quarterback for competition purposes, whether it be with Simmons or Maddox.

You can keep track of Ole Miss' transfer portal moves this offseason here with our tracker.