Surprise Ole Miss QB Turning Heads Ahead of 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Ole Miss football team is undergoing major changes this offseason as they recover from eight players being drafted and 12 more signing with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.
Head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff will be tasked with adequately replacing 18 starters from a Rebels team that won 10 games last season, but perhaps no position will be more crucial than quarterback.
Jaxson Dart was an All-SEC quarterback during his three-year tenure at Ole Miss. Last year’s backup, Austin Simmons, is expected to be the heir to the throne for the Rebels during the 2025 college football season and beyond.
However, Simmons has some work to do if he wants to reach Dart’s level and continue to help the Rebels reach new heights as a program. On3 Sports’ Ben Garrett also reported that a surprise Ole Miss quarterback was turning heads this offseason.
“Chambliss is from Division II Ferris State and last season threw for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns,” Garrett wrote. “He also rushed for 1,019 yards and 25 touchdowns, which could help Chambliss quickly carve out a role behind Simmons, the first-year starter and replacement for record-setter Jaxson Dart. Chambliss has been turning heads in summer workouts.”
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound transfer was certainly a force at the Division II level, but his prospects in a conference like the SEC were certainly in question. However, he seems to be adjusting just fine and may serve as the main backup to Simmons.
It is unlikely that he will supplant Simmons for the starting role, but it appears he is already separating himself from players like Maealiuaki Smith, an Oklahoma State transfer, and George Hamsley, a transfer from Tennessee State.
He will also have to compete with returner AJ Maddox and Rice transfer Shawqi Itraish for the primary backup, and he may also be called upon in a bind to start or contribute heavily if something happens to Simmons.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.