Consistency is key. It's also crucial when it comes to the level of success an offense in the SEC has.
Having Jaxson Dart as the starting quarterback for three seasons made life easier for everyone. While Austin Simmons has not been a starter, he is entering his third season under the tutelage of Lane Kiffin, which should make everyone’s life easier as well.
For the last two seasons, the quarterback room has consisted of Dart, Simmons and Walker Howard. Howard has transferred out and Dart is pushing
to be an NFL starter. Thus, Simmons will be heading up a whole new crop of QB’s.
The Quarterback Room
Austin Simmons needs no introduction after he introduced himself to the SEC on his phenomenal TD drive against the Georgia Bulldogs last season while Dart nursed an ankle injury on the sidelines. The third-year sophomore will be the day one starter and put a lot of people on notice.
Redshirt Freshman AJ Maddox returns to the QB room as well. Just a reminder about who he is, Maddox was a top 10 QB recruit in his class and the #7 player in the state of Mississippi out of Oak Grove High School according to ESPN. He should have a leg up to be the primary backup entering the fall, but will have to outproduce some newcomers.
Shawqi Itraish is a senior transfer by way of Rice and a relative unknown. He did not play in 2024 and has zero touchdowns to six interceptions in his career. Someone has to play scout team QB I guess.
Another senior transfer is Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss joins the team after a 51 touchdown season and a DII National Championship at Ferris State. He is as dual-threat as it gets with almost 3,000 yards in the air an over a 1,000 on the ground. There is a scenario in which Kiffin has packages for Chambliss to take advantage of his dynamic playmaking ability.
An interesting, long-term transfer is Maealiuaki Smith from Oklahoma State. Smith started two games last season for the Cowboys, including a 316 yard, three touchdown performance in a shootout against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Smith could redshirt this season and be the heir apparent to take this offense after Austin Simmons departs.
George Hamsley is a junior transfer from Tennessee State. Hamsley is a former LSU commit that just recently withdrew from the transfer portal to remain at Ole Miss. He is likely nothing more than a depth piece.