Week 2 wasn't the most convincing performance for Ole Miss football, but any SEC road win is a good one. Despite looking sluggish and struggling on offense for most of the day, Lane Kiffin and company pulled out a gritty 30-23 win over Kentucky in Lexington.
Late in that game, Ole Miss suffered an injury scare that could seriously affect it moving forward. Quarterback Austin Simmons left the game in the second half with an ankle injury and was replaced by backup Trinidad Chambliss. By that point, the Rebels were running out the clock, so they didn't have to ask Chambliss to do too much.
Now, it looks like Simmons may be back by Saturday for another SEC tilt against Arkansas. He is listed as probable on the latest Ole Miss injury report, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Despite losing Jaxson Dart, this Ole Miss offense still had very high expectations coming into the 2025 season because of Simmons, who is very talented but also pretty inexperienced. However, Lane Kiffin's offense makes it easier for his quarterbacks and that was supposed to allow the sophomore to settle in during his first year as the full-time starter.
Simmons looked good in his first game against Georgia Southern despite being pretty reckless with the ball, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns with two picks in a 63-7 win. However, things were much more difficult for him in Week 2, as he finished just 13-for-24 with 235 yards and two interceptions in the win over Kentucky.
If Simmons does end up being able to go on Saturday, Ole Miss will need a much better performance from Simmons in order to beat an Arkansas team that has been impressive so far through two weeks. The Razorbacks have not faced top competition yet, but Taylen Green is at the top of his game and Simmons will have to match that.
Whether the injury affects Simmons' mobility remains to be seen, but the quarterback is a big part of the running game in Kiffin's offense. Therefore, the Rebels will want him close to 100% if he is going to be a big part of the game plan.
