The risk/reward of Austin Simmons’ unique reclassification, as explained by a recruiting expert
It’s hard for any prospect to truly drum up a surprise in the new, wacky, know-everything-about-everybody normal of college football recruiting. But Austin Simmons was able to pull one off on Saturday.
Well, his eventual flip from Florida to Ole Miss wasn’t the heard-turner, so much as the timing. Even Ole Miss sources were surprised he made the announcement when he did — in an exclusive interview with On3, where he revealed he was planning to skip two classes and enroll at Ole Miss this week.
You read right. The 17-year-old Simmons was originally a 2025 recruit. But he had a 5.32 GPA at Moore Haven (Florida) Junior/Senior High School, and he’s already dual-enrolled with 48 college credits to his name.
Ole Miss is obviously getting a talented player.
Simmons is ranked by On3 as a four-star and the No. 72 overall prospect for 2025. He’s the No. 4 quarterback.
He’ll likely maintain his four-star status when he’s ultimately counted for 2023 — in an Ole Miss class currently ranked No. 25 in the country. The Rebels did not have a quarterback commitment in the class following a late-process flip by four-star Marcel Reed.
Simmons — who one Power 5 staffer told On3’s Matt Zenitz ‘has some Tua (Tagovailoa) to him’ — passed for 3,161 yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore. He had just nine interceptions and ran for an additional three scores.
Simmons is a two-sport standout, who also plays baseball. Simmons hit .365 and drove in 16 runs last season. He was 4-1 with a 2.65 earned run average as a left-handed pitcher. Simmons met with Ole Miss head baseball coach Mike Bianco and staff while in town for his visit earlier this month. He’s expected to play both sports at Ole Miss.
Austin Simmons committed to Ole Miss on Saturday and will report this week
But there’s also some risk/reward with his unique reclassification.
Allow On3 scouting and rankings assistant Cody Bellaire to explain.
“The baseball stuff is really hard to ignore, and I think you see it from the baseball stuff to the gridiron — the ability to throw from multiple arm slots,” Bellaire said. “That’s always been a factor. The ability to throw from over-the-top to three-quarters to sidearm to borderline submarine, you see that with a lot of these baseball cats because it’s innate. You’ve been throwing from multiple arm angles your entire life. That really stands out when you watch Austin Simmons. Plus, the other bonus you get with Austin Simmons is his ability to push the ball downfield. The ball jumps out of his hand. It’s extremely impressive.
“The athleticism shines on tape. He’s a smooth-mover that manipulates the pocket really well. Arm talent’s extremely impressive. He’s got a little bit of an elongated motion, but he has all the physical and athletic tools to really excel at the next level.
“The only thing I would point out is the jump two cycles.”
“That is not one that historically bodes well for a lot of QB prospects. Look over the last decade; there hasn’t been a lot of success stories from guys reclassifying one year, let alone two. You’re only going to get two years of Austin Simmons playing quarterback at the high-school level. The biggest thing for QBs, especially coming out, is reps. Getting acclimated and having the feel down. He shows a lot of tools that potentially say, down the line, he’ll excel. But it’s a limited guess.
“That could be the only thing, if it doesn’t pan out, you point to and say, ‘That was it. He didn’t get all the reps he needed coming out of high school. He jumped the gun too early.’ However, if the kid feels good, and it sounds like he’s a smart kid and I love the athleticism, and he’s going to have time to sit and develop and learn the game, there’s a lot of upside there. Maybe this is the best thing for him.”
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