Austin Simmons has turned Missouri’s biggest question into its clearest answer.
That was the takeaway after Friday night, and it’s hard to miss how quickly the conversation has shifted. There are still plenty of things to sort out with this team, but the quarterback spot no longer belongs in that pile. Simmons looks like the real thing.
Through two games, the Missouri quarterback has been sharp in every way that matters. He’s 36 of 48 for 544 yards, with 7 touchdowns, a 75% completion rate, 15 yards per completion and 11.3 per attempt. He hasn’t run into an elite defense yet, and that test is still ahead, but the defenses he has faced have been unable to do much with his throws.
What stands out most is the arm talent. Missouri has had strong quarterback play before, and names like Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, Drew Lock and Brady Cook all belong in that conversation.
Fans in Columbia have seen enough to know the difference between a solid quarterback and a special one. Simmons is starting to separate himself from the first group and plant his flag in the second.
The ball comes out with real violence. It has the kind of pace that jumps off the screen, the sort of zip that has NFL scouts paying attention. That’s why the comparison to Gabbert and Lock makes sense; Missouri has seen big arms before, and Simmons belongs in that same lane.
There’s also the matter of how he got here. Simmons was the quarterback Lane Kiffin chose to lead Ole Miss last season.
He arrived as a 4-star prospect from Moore Haven, Florida, in the 2023 recruiting class, redshirted, backed up Jaxson Dart, and then opened the 2025 season as the starter. That path matters, because quarterback development is rarely instant.
Tom Brady didn’t become Tom Brady overnight, and even the best usually need time.
The same lesson shows up in the Arch Manning conversation. He entered this season carrying huge expectations before he had taken meaningful snaps, and while he has flashed in limited action, Steve Sarkisian still went with Quinn Ewers to begin the year. Manning looked better as last season went on, and then last night he helped Texas rally past top ranked Ohio State after many had already counted the Longhorns out.
Experience matters at quarterback, and Simmons is already showing the benefits of it. Compared with last year, he has made far fewer throws that make you wince.
That was easy to see in contrast with Kansas young QB Isaiah Marshall, who played like a young quarterback: forcing balls into traffic, missing open targets, and once getting away with a pirouette toss that somehow landed in a spot his tight end could make a play on. It worked, but the decision still showed where he is in his development.
Missouri had the better quarterback, and that made everything else easier. Simmons can hit every part of the field, he can convert on third down, and he can throw receivers open.
The Tigers finished 7 of 17 on third down overall, but they were 7 of 11 on third down passing. Six of those seven moved the chains, and one became a touchdown.
Over the whole game, there was only one throw that felt questionable.
That’s a major change from last year, when Simmons threw 4 interceptions in his first two games. This version looks calmer and more controlled. That’s growth.
There are still issues to clean up. Missouri needs Ahmad Hardy back in the backfield, even though Jamal Roberts and Xai’Shaun Edwards have been good enough. The offensive line also needs more cohesion.
But the quarterback problem? That one looks solved. And for Missouri, that changes everything about the ceiling and the floor.
In Other News...
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Eli Drinkwitz Just Turned Kansas Into A Rivalry Flashpoint Again
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Missouri Just Got An Early Road Test That Will Say A Lot
Missouris first real measuring stick of the 2026 season is now on the calendar, and it comes early enough to shape the rest of the fall. The Tigers are 2-0 and sitting inside both national polls, but a Week 4 trip to Mississippi State will be the first time this group is asked to carry that early momentum into the kind of game that tends to reveal where a team really stands.
The road test arrives on Sept. 26, with a late-night feel that should fit SEC football at its most demanding. For Missouri, it is more than just another nonconference step forward. It is the opening league assignment, a chance to see whether the Tigers fast start translates once the SEC schedule begins to ask harder questions. [Read more 🡒]