Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, ‘fully focused on bowl game,’ hasn’t officially made decision on return, says Rebel roster ‘definitely a factor’ in his decision
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss is just two weeks away from playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against an extremely talented Penn State team, one that will bring an “elite” defense to the matchup, according to quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart met with media Wednesday afternoon in the Manning Center and talked about the Nittany Lions.
“They’re one of the best defenses in the country. They have a lot of speed, they’re long, especially at the linebacker position, and they’re explosive on the edges. They have great corners, and their DBs as a whole have been playing at a really high level.“
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
Dart is not exaggerating when talking about the defense of Penn State. The Nittany Lions finished the year ranked No. 1 in total defense, allowing just 70 rushing yards per game and 153 passing yards.
On a positive note for the Rebs, it was recently revealed that one of Penn State’s best defenders, Chop Robinson, was opting out of the Peach Bowl and would instead prepare for the NFL draft. The defensive end tallied three sacks and 18 quarterback hurries this past season.
Additionally, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz announced recently that he would be leaving for a head coaching job at Duke.
Dart explained that even though the loss of Chop and Manny is important, the Nittany Lions have plenty of other players who are capable of causing just as much disruption.
“He’s a great player, and Manny is a great coach, but I think their defense as a whole is elite without them. There is a lot of talent over there, they play well together, and they’re super disciplined. I think that they have a great culture, you can see it on their film. It’s going to be a tough game and a tough opponent, but at the same time, it’s going to be very exciting to go against.”
Jaxson Dart on the Penn State defense
Similarly to Chop declaring for the NFL draft, several Ole Miss players have also had to make a decision on their status for 2024. Up to this point, the Rebs have been fortunate enough to retain Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Micah Pettus, JJ Pegues, Jared Ivey, and Caden Prieskorn for another year in Oxford.
Dart’s decision
As for Dart, he says that his decision is one that is still looming for him and his family.
“As of right now, I’m really just focused on the bowl game. We are going to take that decision as a family decision. There is a time and a place for that, but for now, I’m fully focused on the bowl game and winning this game.”
Jaxson Dart
Jaxon talked about what it means to have such talented offensive players like Harris, Watkins and Prieskorn returning.
“That’s definitely a huge aspect of what I’m looking for and a big part and definitely a factor,” Dart said about his decision. “All three of those guys are elite at their positions. It sets up for an exciting time,” he explained.
“Those guys are going to be able to come back and really make huge names for themselves. It’s really cool to see guys who have the opportunity to go to the league and do their thing there and carry out their dreams, have a lot of fun being where they’re at, and wanting to run it back and make history here.”
Jaxson Dart
Ole Miss — and Dart — have received quite a bit of national attention lately, both for this season and for next season when the new 12-team playoff will be instituted.
“When you’re on the verge of doing something the school hasn’t done before and you’re playing on a high level as a team, I think that catches the national eye. Coach Kiffin and our staff as a a whole make this a really exciting place to be… There is a lot of excitement and momentum here,” Dart commented.
Whether Dart stays or leaves, it appears that an announcement will be made after the bowl game, but until then, all of his focus will be put into defeating the Nittany Lions.
“I’ve always wanted to play in a game like this. You want to end things off the right way, and for the guys that are coming back, it carries a lot of momentum for them. It’s a great opportunity for us as a team to see how far we’ve come and to really finish this thing off in a way that we want to.“
Jaxson Dart
Tune into ESPN on December 30th at 11 a.m. to see if Ole Miss can win 11 games for the first time in school history. Hotty Toddy!
