OXFORD | Austin Simmons, for the first time for an official practice, suited up as the Ole Miss starting quarterback.

The third-year left-hander sat behind Jaxson Dart for two seasons, while Dart put his stamp on the record books from a wins, yards and touchdowns standpoint. Simmons soaked it in, made mental notes and used his front-row seat for what is now his time to lead.

Dart won 28 games in his three years, including back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins.

“Seeing how Dart played in front of me visually, and I have to these things in the future,” Simmons said. “You know you’ll be in these situations, and it prepares me physically and mentally to know what to expect.”

Simmons arrived on campus as a 17-year-old who moved up two classifications in order to begin college in 2023. He moonlit as a baseball reliever for two springs at Swayze Field, but after a UCL elbow injury ended his college baseball career in 2024, he’s completely focused on his job at the Manning Center.

That includes binding together a reloaded roster in the transfer portal era. The turnover from year to year is at an all-time high for the sport, and part of Simmons’ task is to implement and showcase the needed culture and accountability.

“I took some bits and pieces from Jaxson in the past, and relationships are a key factor to a football team and trust everyone on the team and everyone has your back,” Simmons said. “As far as trusting your receivers to make a 50/50 ball, you also need to make that relationship off the field and know he’s a great guy on the field and even better off the field.”

Simmons redshirted in 2023 and played in nine games for the Rebels last season. He completed 19-of-32 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions.

With Ole Miss down 3-0 against Georgia in November, Simmons stepped in for Dart who needed medical attention for a series. Simmons led the offensive touchdown drive of the game, connecting on 5-of-6 passes for 64 yards.

FanDuel Sportsbook has Simmons with the 15th-best Heisman Trophy odds currently.

“Really increasing my verbal leadership is the next step,” said Simmons, who said the UCL injury has no impact on his football throws. “I’ve never been the verbal leader, but I’m trying to progress and get better with that. Also be a better situational football player and take things slowly and know what’s going on with the game and what I need to do with each drive.

“Before I was more like taking everything to effect and doing my job and hoping people follow my lead and never be the verbal guy. I get more respect that way, and I’ll always have their backs no matter what is going on with the game.”

Simmons has worked consistently and intently during the offseason to build camaraderie with his teammates – on both sides of the ball. It’s his team, and that means finding his own voice and following the proverbial map that’s worked in the past.

“He’s done a really good job spending time with players, and he’s always out trying to throw extra with them,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said. “He has a hard act to follow. He doesn’t need to be Jaxson but that’s a good one to learn from in how Jaxson took the whole team in. I see him doing that, but he has to be his own person too.”