Jaxson Dart’s replacement at Ole Miss is already over-promising Rebels fans

It seems Lane Kiffin’s obsession with the College Football Playoff has spread to his team. Austin Simmons, who served as Jaxson Dart’s backup in 2024 and is now the probable incumbent next season, made a staunch statement following Ohio State’s national championship over Notre Dame. 

“We will be here,” Simmons posted to his Instagram story, with a photo of Ohio State’s win on a TV. “Mark my words.”

That’s very bold for Simmons considering, one, he hasn’t officially won the starting job and two, because Ole Miss literally played themselves out of the playoff last year. 

I get wanting to be excited, getting your fan base hyped up and even wanting to set a standard for the offseason and next season. But some things are better left unsaid. In this case, Simmons should have kept that to himself. 

Social media is going to have a field day if Ole Miss once again falls short of what should be reasonable expectations. 

Austin Simmons is playing with fire, declaring Ole Miss national champions

Let’s see, since the College Football Playoff has existed, Ole Miss has yet to make its debut. So claiming they’re going to be champions in a playoff that didn't feature an SEC entrant in the National Championship Game, well that’s an arrogant stance to take. 

Especially when you look at Ole Miss collapsing at the end of the season and ending their shot at their first College Football Playoff appearance. They had it made for them. They whooped on Georgia. They had their most important win of the season. 

And in one game, Dart literally threw it away against an equally underperforming Florida team. Right now, DraftKings has the Rebels at +2500 odds to win a title. That’s the sixth-best odds in just the SEC alone.

That’s very generous considering they’ve never played in a College Football Playoff before. But that doesn’t mean you should put your paycheck on it either. Especially when it comes to a team that’s losing their starting quarterback and wide receiver. 

Remember when LSU went on to win a national championship with Joe Burrow back in 2020. He kept his mouth shut. For what it’s worth, though, the Tigers also had +2500 preseason odds that year to win it. So maybe Simmons is onto something. 

Note: Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.