​Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons (13) dropped back to pass as the Kentucky Wildcats faced off against the Ole Miss Rebels at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Ole Miss defeated Kentucky, 30-23. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co What do Austin Simmons and John Stollenwerck have in common? Both have been on Mizzou football’s roster, both play quarterback and both are left-handed. The main difference is the expectations on Simmons and how football has changed since Stollenwerck was a signal caller in the late ‘80s.Simmons is expected to lead the Tigers offense for an entire season, barring injury. The risk behind the decision to bring in Simmons from Ole Miss this offseason is no secret.Mizzou went from trusting an inexperienced quarterback in Beau Pribula last season to entering a similar situation in 2026. Simmons logged 259 snaps across two seasons at Ole Miss, completing 64 of 107 passes for 1,026 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. Another factor affects the offense aside from his lack of experience – his favored hand.Simmons is left-handed, a rarity under center. Stollenwerck was the only other left-handed quarterback to play meaningful snaps in the Tigers’ history. Left-handed quarterbacks face unique technical challenges in football, primarily because the sport’s typical offensive schemes and blocking assignments are tailored to right-handed passers. These differences create practical hurdles for coaching staffs, receivers and the offense as a whole. Impact on ReceiversIt may seem simple from a receiving standpoint. The ball doesn’t change, and the speed is different on every throw anyway. But it’s been a topic of conversation for Mizzou wideouts through fall camp.A depth chart is complicated to create with so many new faces in the receiving room, but the starters seem clear: Donovan Olugbode as the X, Caleb Goodie as the Z and Cayden Lee in the slot. Jaden Lewis gave a full breakdown on the Tigers’ receivers earlier this week. Both Olugbode and Goodie have had to adjust to Simmons’ hand preference, while Lee benefits – so does Mizzou – from already having experience with him on the Rebels.“Just the way it spins and how it drops over the shoulder, it becomes more about the stance towards the sideline, so that’s probably the biggest difference,” Olugbode said after practice Friday.Olugbode and Lee are both experienced SEC wide receivers, but Goodie has had to make far more adjustments in his transfer process.“It’s definitely challenging, but I’d say I’ve become accustomed to it. It’s just playing faster and playing with a left-handed quarterback; it’s just getting used to that,” Goodie said.The Cincinnati transfer mentioned the challenge of adjusting to Simmons’ throwing arm unprompted. Left-handed people make up a small portion of the world’s population, so it makes sense that successful left-handed quarterbacks are an anomaly. Tua Tagovailoa is the