Austin Simmons' college football career will begin at a different SEC school than planned. And two years early.
Simmons, a four-star quarterback recruit ranked by Rivals as the No. 3 passer in the Class of 2025, announced Saturday morning he was flipping his commitment from Florida to Ole Miss and reclassifying into the Class of 2023. So he'll be skipping his last two years of high school to enter college this year.
Per USA Today, he'll be on hand at Ole Miss OTAs next week.
How could such a jump be possible?
Well, Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports reported Simmons somehow completed all of his required classes as a freshman and holds a 5.34 GPA. That was reportedly accomplished through homeschooling, with Simmons finishing his high school requirements at the age of 16 via online courses and already accruing 15 college credits.
Rather than be Florida's quarterback of the distant future, Simmons will join Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin at 17 years old. The Gators won't be the only team to unexpectedly miss out on his talents too, as he transferred from Pahokee High School to Moore Haven Junior Senior High School in April.
Before he reclassified, Simmons was Rivals' No. 156 recruit overall in the Class of 2025. He threw for 3,242 passing yards and 24 touchdowns at Pahokee last year, surpassing a school record previously held by former NFL wide receiver (and former quarterback) Anquan Boldin.