OXFORD | Austin Simmons shagged balls in batting practice on Saturday and executed the normal pre-intrasquad duties of a pitcher not scheduled to touch the mound that day.

For most pitchers on an off day, it would be a leisurely afternoon at the park, but Simmons, about 15 minutes before first pitch, left Swayze Field and headed across Gertrude Ford Boulevard to the Manning Center. A host of 2025 football prospects were in town, and Simmons was among the current football players assisting with those campus visits.

Simmons is highly skilled on the baseball field, but he’s also a quarterback. The football side of his athletic career remains primary, even in the spring.

“I’m doing everything that’s necessary for football,” Simmons said. “With my role in football I really have to take a big understanding of how much I’m going to be throwing over here because quarterbacks throw each and every day. It’s wear and tear on your arm so making sure I don’t overwork and overstimulate myself (at baseball) with practice, especially if I don’t have a big, significant role.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder played one snap for the Rebels during Ole Miss’ 11-2 season, and he’s expected to compete with Walker Howard for the backup job behind Jaxson Dart for 2024. His talent is evident when the ball leaves his hand, and the football believes in his future.

Simmons turned 18 years old in November and is already an academic junior. He’s on pace to graduate with an exercise science degree by December.

The Pinecrest, Florida, native began taking online high school courses in the sixth grade and had 15 hours of college credit when he graduated high school, finishing with a 5.3 GPA because the college courses were weighted on a 6.0 scale.

The left-hander reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2023 class, flipped his commitment from Florida to Ole Miss and enrolled with the Rebels this past summer. Rivals rated him the No. 156 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

“Reclassifying was a great impact on my life, and I don’t regret it at all,” Simmons said. “I’m here learning from, in my opinion, the best coaches in the SEC.”

Simmons solely concentrated on football in the fall, participating with the baseball program a couple times during the semester. The football coaches praised him for his willingness to learn from Dart and fellow quarterback Spencer Sanders.

While still a major transition in all ways, Simmons thought the biggest challenges were with the mental and leadership elements of the position. He practiced with elite athletes — including now NFL receivers Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave — during the offseason in high school.

“I learned so much about timing and consistency from (Dart),” Simmons said. “You have to understand what the timing is supposed to be on each play; that’s such a key factor with SEC ball. If you’re late by just a millisecond, it can turn into a bad play.

“It’s also the consistency. To forget the bad days and even if you throw a couple interceptions or something like that, you can’t show that. You have to be consistent with your demeanor and be a leader. You have to have confidence and show confidence every day.”

Simmons said spring football practice will be his first focus when it begins later this semester. In the meantime, he’s flashing his potential with baseball. The two-sport option was a major selling point during his recruitment.

His fastball maxed out at 96 MPH last summer, and he’s been 90-92 during preseason practice. He has a curve ball that is solid for college pitchers, but needs tightening, and an emerging changeup.

“He was a little nervous the first time out there, but the raw ability, and the thing that’s a credit to him, is that there’s a bit more polish,” Ole Miss assistant Carl Lafferty said. “He looks like he hasn’t had many reps which is part of being a two-sport athlete but an incredibly high ceiling.”

Simmons summed it up: “If you miss your spot, it’s going to end really badly for you.”

It’s baseball season with an eye toward all football responsibilities. That includes staying healthy. Simmons said he’s aware of not only keeping his arm fresh for football but also his legs and body.

“He has a shot to be really good over there from what I understand,” Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco said. “He’ll be doing double duty, and he has the ability to do that because he’s a pitcher.

“He looks strong, but again, it’s tough to play in this league and it’s tough to play in this league as a freshman and to only do it after a couple weeks out here while doing both sports. He’s handling it though, and I’m proud of him.”