Austin Simmons QB Missouri |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Short and underneath accuracy trails his downfield work, as a 111-yard day against Troy showed
• One-year starter whose 2025 starts at Ole Miss produced five interceptions in 75 attempts
• Rarely uses his legs, with 13 carries for two yards this fall
• Interception-free but not risk-free; several dangerous throws at Mississippi State went unpunished

Scouting Report: Summary

Simmons arrived at Missouri as a reclamation project after losing his job at Ole Miss to Trinidad Chambliss, and five games later he is one of the biggest risers in the 2027 quarterback class. The first thing that jumps off the tape is the arm. He has the loose, whip-like release of a former pitcher, and the ball comes out with real velocity whether he is driving it outside the numbers or dropping it over the second level. His best work is vertical: against Florida he picked the Gators apart downfield on his way to 340 yards, and he has been just as aggressive on the road at Kansas and Mississippi State. Through 137 attempts he has yet to throw an interception, a big step from the turnover issues of his brief 2025 run.

However, the sample is thin. Simmons is essentially a one-year starter, and his two starts at Ole Miss produced 576 yards but four interceptions before the ankle injury ended his run. His accuracy on short and underneath throws is behind his deep ball, and he does not create much with his legs, which means he has to win from the pocket on every snap. The clean interception column also flatters him slightly: at Mississippi State he needed 39 attempts and put several throws in harm's way that defenders failed to finish, and against Troy he managed just 111 yards when the deep shots were not there. He also has eligibility left, and his draft decision may hinge on his return to Oxford and the November schedule.

Overall, the arm, the frame and the early production are all there, and the rest of the SEC schedule will decide how high he climbs. For now, Simmons projects as a third-round quarterback with starting upside, and another month like September would make the first-round talk around him much louder.