As the first half wound down, anyone tuning in to the No. 17 Ole Miss game could see that quarterback Austin Simmons did not start.
In a primetime Saturday college football matchup, the Rebels hosted the Arkansas Razorbacks. By the end of the second quarter, the two undefeated teams (both 2-0) were locked in a close 31-28 game, with Ole Miss leading. This came even with Rebels backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss taking the first snaps of the game.
Simmons was injured in the Rebels’ Week 2 win at Kentucky, exiting with a right ankle injury sustained during a tackle.
Who is AJ Maddox?
On Saturday’s pregame availability report, Simmons was not listed.
While Simmons is sidelined with the ankle injury and Chambliss threw for 231 yards on 13-of-17 passing in the first half, Chambliss is also playing through a wrist injury. As a result, the second half could see redshirt freshman AJ Maddox take the field.
Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons is limping on the sideline with an ankle injury. Trinidad Chambliss is dealing with a hand injury.
3rd-string QB for Ole Miss would be AJ Maddox. https://t.co/MFzBeswAjW
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) September 14, 2025
Maddox also shares the roster with his brother, Andrew, who is a freshman defensive tackle for the Rebels.
Standing at 6’1″ and weighing 185 pounds, Maddox is a Mississippi native who enrolled early in 2024 to participate in spring drills. He was previously rated a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN and was listed as a top 10 quarterback by ESPN.
Ole Miss QB AJ Maddox has some juice pic.twitter.com/nvOy1zAeyJ
— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) April 1, 2025
During his senior year of high school, the current Ole Miss third-stringer threw for 958 yards and nine touchdowns during Oak Grove’s playoff run.
Maddox is known for his poise in the pocket but also previously dealt with a hand injury that sidelined him during spring ball. He has since said he is back to 100%.
“I think I’m pretty much 100% back,” Maddox said, according to therebelwalk.com. “Obviously, with injuries you never really know, there’s always going to be something nagging with it, but I’m almost 100%, and I’m throwing the ball with a lot of zip right now and playing with a lot of confidence.”
Maddox spent last season backing up Jaxson Dart, who was selected 25th overall by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft. He said he used the time to learn from him.
As of press time, the Rebels led Arkansas 31-28. Ole Miss will host Tulane in Week.
