Missouri QB Austin Simmons reportedly makes 2027 decision amid NFL draft buzz
· Yahoo Sports
Austin Simmons turns 21 on Sunday, a day after the Missouri Tigers host the Texas Longhorns, and he heads into that weekend as a rising name in the 2027 NFL draft quarterback class. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks him as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 12 overall prospect on his latest Big Board. On Friday, the question of where Simmons plays next fall picked up an answer.
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Simmons has signed a deal to return to Missouri for the 2027 season, On3’s Pete Nakos and Hayes Fawcett reported.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel also reported the re-signing and noted that the contract does not guarantee Simmons comes back for his final year of eligibility, which leaves the draft open to him once this season ends.
Jul 14, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons answers media questions during SEC Media Day at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Simmons has led Missouri to a 6-2 record and the No. 18 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. He has 16 touchdown passes against two interceptions on 240 attempts, and his 244 passing yards per game rank fourth in the SEC. His last outing produced 179 yards and two touchdown passes in a 34-10 win at the Arkansas Razorbacks on Oct. 31.
Why would a top-15 draft prospect sign on for 2027 now?
Simmons arrived in Columbia with two career starts. He won the Ole Miss Rebels’ job to open 2025 and won both games before an ankle injury handed the offense to Trinidad Chambliss, who kept it through the Rebels’ College Football Playoff run.
Missouri needed a starter after Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal following one season on the job, and coach Eli Drinkwitz named Simmons the winner of a four-player competition in March. If he left after this season, NFL teams would be evaluating a quarterback whose starting record amounts to two games at Ole Miss and one year at Missouri.
Simmons reclassified out of high school and enrolled at Ole Miss two years early, then finished his bachelor’s degree there in May 2025. Even after a 2027 season in Columbia, he would enter the 2028 draft at 22, with a second full year of SEC starts on film.
Sep 13, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) warm ups between the first and second quarters against the Arkansas Razorback at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
For Missouri, the deal lets the staff build its 2027 roster around a known quarterback months before any draft decision is due, and it spares the program a second straight winter spent searching the portal for a starter.
For Simmons, the draft option stays alive until the season ends. The thin starting record is the strongest argument for another year in Columbia, and signing this early suggests both sides already see it that way, even with the NFL door technically open.
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