When it comes to naming a starting quarterback, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz isn't waiting around this time. At an athletic department caravan stop in St. Charles, Drinkwitz revealed that Austin Simmons—a left-handed transfer from Ole Miss—has been named the Tigers' QB1 for the 2026 season, effective immediately after spring camp.

This marks a notable shift in strategy for Drinkwitz, who in previous years has let quarterback battles stretch deep into the fall. Just last season, the competition between Beau Pribula and Sam Horn carried all the way into opening week, with the job ultimately decided by injury rather than performance. Even Brady Cook, who eventually became the iron-clad starter, had to win the job in fall camp one year and then again in Week 1 the next.

But not this year. Simmons beat out rookie returner Matt Zollers and UConn transfer Nick Evers for the starting role, and Drinkwitz made the call early. The reasoning? A lesson learned from last season's struggles.

"I think one of the things that I went back and looked at where last year didn't go the way we wanted it to," Drinkwitz said Thursday, "was the error in not naming a starting quarterback soon enough and allowing leadership to take hold within our team."

With a new offensive coordinator in Chip Lindsey and a new quarterbacks coach in Garrett Riley, the Tigers are building a fresh offensive identity around Simmons. For fans looking to rep their new QB1, this early decision means it's time to start thinking about game-day gear—because Missouri football is ready to roll with a leader in place well before the September kickoff.