The expectation at Ole Miss is that Trinidad Chambliss will make his second straight start at quarterback this week when the No. 13 Rebels host Tulane, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz confirms. Primary starter Austin Simmons has been limited in practice with an ankle injury he sustained in Week 2, according to ESPN, despite coach Lane Kiffin saying earlier in the week that he anticipated Simmons being ready to return to the lineup against the Green Wave.
Simmons played four snaps last week against Arkansas and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass before returning to the bench. He aggravated the ankle issue in that limited appearance but could be available in a similar emergency situation in Week 4.
Ole Miss kept Simmons off the Week 3 availability report despite ultimately handing the starting role to Chambliss. The Rebels are not required to provide an availability report for the matchup against Tulane because it is a nonconference game.
Chambliss dazzled against the Razorbacks while Simmons watched nearly his entire performance from the sideline. The Ferris State transfer and two-time Division II national champion went 21 of 29 passing for 353 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 15 times for an additional 62 yards and two scores. It was a tremendous starting debut — against an SEC opponent, no less.
“Trinidad’s day didn’t surprise me,” Kiffin said after the win over Arkansas. “Anytime we’ve gone in the stadium in scrimmages or in his play the last two games, he’s done a fabulous job. I just think he has the ‘it,’ and that’s why we brought him here.”
Simmons, meanwhile, was a mixed bag in his two starts to open the year. While highly productive from a yardage and scoring standpoint, the first-year starter also threw two interceptions against Georgia State and Kentucky apiece. He leads the SEC in yards per attempt (10.4) and yards per completion (17.1) but has obvious room for growth if and when he returns to the top of the depth chart.
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