Five weeks into the 2025 college football season, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has a major problem on his hands and how he handles it could ultimately define the Rebels season. Starting quarterback and former four-star recruit Austin Simmons was injured in the Rebels second game of the season and former D-II starter Trinidad Chambliss took over under center. Since then, Chambliss has played like one of the top quarterbacks in the country but Kiffin has been reluctant to name him the starter moving forward. With Simmons inching closer to being 100% healthy and the Rebels getting a much-needed bye week following a win over No. 4 LSU, the Ole Miss head coach has a decision to make. While it’s a good problem to have, Kiffin’s decision could ultimately decide the Rebels fate down the stretch of the SEC season.
Who Should Ole Miss Start At QB, Simmons or Chambliss?
From the outside looking in, the decision appears easier than Kiffin would probably like to admit. Chambliss has immediately stepped in and played like one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
In three starts, he’s thrown for over 300 yards and rushed for at least 60 yards on the ground in every game. Chambliss has thrown for 1,033 yards with five touchdowns and only one interceptions while adding 266 rushing yards and two scores with his legs. He’s posted a QBR of 86.9 or higher in all three of his starts and ranks fifth in the country in that category heading into the bye week.
After dethroning No. 4 LSU last weekend, Chambliss has also become one of the front runners to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. According to BetOnline, Chambliss has +1400 odds to win, giving him the fifth-best chance to be named college football’s most outstanding player.
On the other hand, Simmons was a high profile recruit who patiently waited his turn to become the Ole Miss starter behind first-round NFL Draft pick Jaxson Dart. However, the sophomore struggled to take care of the football in his first two starts, throwing more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) against easier competition in games against Georgia State (1-3) and Kentucky (2-2).
Simmons has superior arm talent and a $2.1 million NIL deal to boot, but Chambliss has the ability to make all of the throws and process reads at a higher level at this point in his career, making him the better option moving forward, especially now that Ole Miss has an SEC title firmly in its grasp.
Analyzing Mississippi’s Upcoming Schedule
Following their bye week, Ole Miss will open up with a winnable game at home against Washington State. Kiffin could easily use this matchup to give both quarterbacks some playing time before making his final decision. If Simmons struggles or proves to be less than 100% healthy, Chambliss would undoubtedly take over as the starter for the remainder of the season.
But what type of performance would it take for Simmons to truly take back the reins from Chambliss, who has led the program to victories over Arkansas, Tulane, and LSU in his first three career FBS starts?
After taking on Washington State, the Rebels will head on the road for a pair of road games that could ultimately define their season. Ole Miss will take on No. 12 Georgia and No. 5 Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks before returning home for a battle versus a tough, upset-minded South Carolina team to kick off the month of November.
From there, the regular season schedule gets easier with matchups against The Citadel and an underwhelming Florida Gators team before culminating with a rivalry game versus Mississippi State in the SEC finale.
Date
Opponent
Sat, Oct 11
vs Washington State
Sat, Oct 18
@ No. 12 Georgia
Sat, Oct 25
@ No. 5 Oklahoma
Sat, Nov 1
vs South Carolina
Can The Rebels Win The SEC For The First Time Since 1963?
Ole Miss is one of five remaining undefeated teams in the new-look SEC, joining Oklahoma, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M as the last unbeaten teams in the conference.
The Rebels haven’t won the SEC title since 1963 but have arguably their best shot to claim the crown this season. If Ole Miss can beat Georgia and Oklahoma on the road in the coming weeks, it will also likely earn its first-ever College Football Playoff.
That’s why Kiffin’s decision will be under the microscope over the next few weeks. Will Chambliss’s recent play be enough to be named the full-time starter or will talent, NIL investment, and recruiting repercussions ultimately play a role in who starts for a team with national championship aspirations?
