Why Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz chose Austin Simmons as starting quarterback
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Drinkwitz cited spring practice performance and drills to name Simmons starter.
- Simmons has most experience among Mizzou QBs, with 17 games at Ole Miss.
- Coach expects team cohesion to build around Simmons while backups remain key contributors.
It only took about three months for transfer Austin Simmons to take over the reins as Missouri’s newest starting quarterback.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz didn’t expect to name him the starter so early in the year, he told KTRS 550 Radio in St. Louis on Wednesday. He believes he has four elite passers in the room with rising sophomore Matt Zollers, senior transfer Nick Evers and freshman Gavin Sidwar, along with Simmons.
But the former Ole Miss QB stood above the rest, earning him the top spot at the end of spring practice.
“As we finished up the last three practices and really being in situations and doing two-minute drills and red zone lockout, it just became apparent to me that Austin was going to be our starting quarterback,” Drinkwitz said. “With having ... as new (a) team and as many new guys, that the sooner we could come to that conclusion, the sooner we could name him the starter, the more our team could grow around him, rally around him, and his leadership attributes could really become prevalent to the team.
“And so I just didn’t want to delay it anymore. I felt like I knew that was the decision that we needed to make.”
The redshirt junior, who is still only 20 after reclassifying from the 2025 class to 2023, has the most experience of the six QBs on Mizzou’s roster.
“I think the years that we’ve been at our best, we’ve had a quarterback leading the offseason,” Drinkwitz continued, “and that’s what we needed to do.”
Simmons completed nearly 60% of his pass attempts and threw for 1,026 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions in 17 games with Ole Miss. He started against Georgia and Kentucky last season, passing for 576 yards with a 60% completion rate and three touchdowns to four interceptions in those games.
After Simmons was hurt against Kentucky, Trinidad Chambliss took over the starting job and led Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run.
Zollers, a former four-star recruit, threw for 503 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions with a 53% completion percentage in three starts as a freshman. Drinkwitz said the rest of the QBs took the news well, acknowledging that Zollers is still valuable to the team.
“Anytime as a coach you have to hurt somebody’s belief, that’s a hard conversation. But they handled it ... the way they’re supposed to,” Drinkwitz said. “Matt’s one of those guys that everybody really rallies around. They really enjoy him as both a teammate and as a leader. I think he’ll continue to do that, and he’ll prepare himself well.”
At 6-4, 215 pounds Simmons is a dynamic athlete, also playing baseball through high school as a left-handed pitcher. Drinkwitz added that a left-handed QB will require an adjustment for the offense, but they’ll make it work.
And Simmons already has a connection with his former Ole Miss teammate Cayden Lee, who also transferred in during the winter. Lee had 44 catches for 635 yards and three touchdowns with the Rebels last season.
“Obviously, they have a connection, and now it’s really about building that connection with the rest of the wide receiver crew,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ve got to spend the next six months getting the reps we need in order to be on the same page. I think that’ll be important with everybody, but it’s all ... fun to watch.”
