Sources: QB Simmons re-ups with Missouri for 2027 as NFL draft stock rises

Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons, one of the breakout stars of the 2026 college football season, has re-signed with the Tigers for the 2027 season, sources told ESPN on Friday.

The signing, however, does not guarantee that Simmons will return for his final year of college eligibility. Simmons, the No. 5 quarterback and No. 12 overall player on ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper's latest Big Board, has only recently generated buzz in NFL circles in his first full season as a starter and could still end up exploring the draft.

An Ole Miss transfer, Simmons, who turns 21 on Sunday, has thrived as a starter this year, ranking third in the SEC with 16 touchdown passes to go with just two interceptions in 240 attempts. He is fourth in the SEC at 244 passing yards per game.

Simmons has led Missouri to a 6-2 record this year and No. 18 ranking in the College Football Playoff. By re-signing Simmons this early, Missouri has a chance to build on the momentum from this season heading into 2027, as a majority of Missouri's top skill players have additional eligibility.

Simmons earned the starting job at Ole Miss in 2025, winning two games, but he injured his ankle in a win over Kentucky, paving the way for Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss to emerge as the season's surprise star.

As Chambliss led Ole Miss on an improbable CFP run, Simmons never got his starting job back and ultimately transferred to Missouri, where he has thrived under coach Eliah Drinkwitz, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley.

Simmons is a pure and natural left-handed passer, and LSU' Lane Kiffin, his former coach at Ole Miss, offered a strong endorsement earlier this year: "I think Austin is a first-round draft pick. I've said that the whole time through."

Simmons also played college baseball at Ole Miss for one season, and baseball coach Mike Bianco told ESPN in 2025 that Simmons would have been a high-round pick in that sport if he'd stuck with it.

Missouri hosts No. 7 Texas on Saturday.