Ole Miss’ New QB Fires Back at Tua Comparisons: What’s Really Behind the ‘Weird’ Debate?
For most young quarterbacks, being compared to a star like Tua Tagovailoa might feel like a badge of honor. But for Austin Simmons, those comparisons have been a puzzling lifelong soundtrack — one he’s long found a bit, well, weird. Is it a blessing or a burden when your story seems predestined by someone else’s shadow? Now, as Simmons prepares to step out from behind Jaxson Dart’s NFL-bound exit and take the reins at Ole Miss, he’s confronting that very question head-on. He’s not just playing the part of the next Tua; he’s crafting his own narrative, marked by grit, brains, and a relentless focus on being unapologetically himself. The real intrigue isn’t whether Simmons echoes Tua — it’s how long it might take before someone starts comparing others to him instead. Can this “me-guy” rise above the echoes and become the new voice of Rebels football? Let’s dive in and find out. LEARN MORE
For most young quarterbacks, getting compared to Tua Tagovailoa would be a dream. For Austin Simmons, it’s been more of a lifelong riddle.
“That’s been an entire life type of thing,” Simmons said recently. “I’ve been compared to Tua since I was in middle school, and that’s been kind of weird to me.”
Now, with a real shot to become Ole Miss football’s starting quarterback following Jaxson Dart’s move to the NFL, Simmons is no longer just the kid from Florida with uncanny similarities to Tua. He’s stepping into his own story, on his own terms.
The comparisons started early. Lefty quarterback. Strong arm. Mobile. Even their stature drew attention.
Simmons, who grew up in Florida and played both baseball and football, started hearing the Tagovailoa talk back when he was just learning how to run an offense. He says the mentions of Michael Vick also came later. But for all the outside noise, Simmons insists he’s always been focused on being himself.
“I’m really just a me-guy,” he added in an earlier interview. “I just focus on myself.”
And that mindset might be what makes him so compelling. While Jaxson Dart guided the Rebels to back-to-back 10-win seasons before landing with the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft, Simmons quietly worked his way through the depth chart, graduated with his bachelor’s degree by 19, and bided his time behind the scenes.
Now, the stage is his. He’ll enter fall camp as the presumed QB1 for Lane Kiffin’s squad, with eyes on continuing Ole Miss’ upward trajectory in the SEC. But he isn’t chasing anyone else’s path, not even one as decorated as Tagovailoa’s.
While the pressure is immense, Simmons remains unfazed. “I know exactly how good I was before that Georgia game even happened,” he stated. “It was just a matter of time, whether or not I was going to showcase or not.”
Fans and analysts will keep making the comparisons. That’s the nature of the game. But if Simmons proves anything this season, it’s that he’s more than a lookalike or a throwback. He’s the next leader of the Rebels, armed with composure, intelligence, and a game that just might speak louder than the hype.
The question isn’t whether he reminds people of Tua. The real question is how long it will take before others are compared to him.
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