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Ole Miss lands former Big 12 QB via transfer portal, per report
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Ole Miss is gearing up for the 2025 season and will need a new starting quarterback to replace first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart. On Tuesday, the Rebels picked up some depth for the QB room under Lane Kiffin.
While rising sophomore Austin Simmons is the leader to be the starter this fall, Ole Miss was short on depth and experience in the room. To help address that, Ole Miss landed former Oklahoma State QB Maealiuaki Smith in the portal, according to Pete Nakos with On3 Sports.
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Smith is a redshirt freshman who was originally a 3-star prospect out of California in the 2024 recruiting class. He appeared in the final 4 games of his freshman season to maintain his 4 years of eligibility, including starting the final 2 games of the season.
In a start against Texas Tech, Smith was electric with 3 total touchdowns, 316 passing yards and a 74% completion percentage. However, he struggled with just 70 passing yards and 2 interceptions while going 11-for-29 vs. Colorado.
Now, Smith joins an Ole Miss offense that is attempting to reload after losing the record-setting Dart to the NFL.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
