Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart reflects on legacy ahead of farewell game in Gator Bowl: ‘I have loved my time here, and it has been the best decision I ever made’
OXFORD, Miss. – Jaxson Dart is closing in on his final days as the quarterback of the Ole Miss Rebels. While he prepares to don a Rebel uniform for the final time on January 2nd when his team plays in the upcoming Gator Bowl against Duke, Dart will mark the end of his three-year career as the winningest quarterback in the program’s history.
“I haven’t really taken too much time to think about it, as of now. I will kind of do more of that as the game is over. I have been very appreciative of the time I have had here. I feel like I gave it my all. I am grateful to have the opportunity to play with these coaches, play with these players in the three years I have been here. I have loved my time here, and it has been the best decision I ever made.”
~ Dart on looking back at his success as the Rebel QB
Dart will also leave his legacy at Ole Miss as the program’s leading passer, throwing for 10,213 yards in three seasons to pass Eli Manning in the record books. The senior quarterback will finish second in passing touchdowns, as well, with 68 in his career behind Manning who had 84.
Coming from the West Coast, Dart took a chance on Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin when the signal caller decided to leave USC in 2022. The Utah native claimed he saw what Kiffin was able to do with his predecessor Matt Corral, and he bought into the honesty of the Ole Miss head coach.
“I just think because he is real, he is honest. There are a lot of coaches who are not that way in the portal. You can see the product he puts out there on the field…I feel like we just clicked early on. He had a good vision for me…it’s something I bought into early.”
~ Dart on why Kiffin is successful in the portal
With Dart suiting up for the final time for the Rebels just after the New Year, Kiffin explained that his quarterback’s participation created a domino effect that led to other players opting into the bowl game also.
In fact, Ole Miss will have around 95 percent of its 2024 roster suited up for the Gator Bowl, as Coach Kiffin and staff will successfully retain key players and watch as their future NFL draft picks, such as Walter Nolen and Caden Prieskorn, don the red and blue one last time.
Although it was confirmed by Kiffin during Tuesday’s press conference that Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul Jr. and Tre Harris will not be playing in the bowl game, Dart made it very clear that there was never a doubt for him.
“There wasn’t any doubt. There was never even a second thought about it. [I am] just excited to go and compete one last time with the guys.”
~ Dart on his intentions to play in the Gator Bowl
Many of his other Rebel teammates have taken their thoughts to social media as well with almost all of them claiming they were not done just yet. Dart says the bond this 2024 roster has is what to credit for the near-complete team opt-in for the final game against the Blue Devils.
“It shows the bond that we have with one another. There are a lot of guys who could and have cases to be first-rounders [in the NFL draft]. We kind of just came together and said, ‘We want to finish this the way that we started it’, so they were pretty easy conversations between us. I can’t even really remember if any of the guys had any doubt if they were going to play or not.”
~ Dart on what the opt-ins say about the 2024 roster
Regarding the Gator Bowl, the Rebels will head to Jacksonville, Florida at the end of this week to prepare for a 9-3 Duke team that will be down a few starters due to the early transfer portal window. However, Dart believes this is the best Blue Devil team we have seen in a long time as he prepares for a defensive scheme that he is already familiar with.
“They are coached very well, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They run the same scheme that Penn State ran on the defensive side, they had the same coach. I think they have had a great year this year…everybody talks about they are a basketball program, but I don’t think that is the case anymore.”
~ Dart on the Duke Blue Devils
Dart was ranked at 182 on the latest Pro Football Focus NFL draft board of the top 250 prospects and Bleacher Report has the Rebel signal-caller projected as a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. However, he has respectfully put his future to the side for now to enjoy the last few moments with the people and the place he calls home.
“I am not too worried about that stuff right now. I am just worried about playing this last game. That stuff will be fine and take care of itself. I am really excited to go out one last time with the guys, chase another victory, get to 10 wins and have a lot of fun doing it.”
~ Dart on looking forward to the NFL draft
Getting to double-digit wins for the second time in his Rebel career is the end goal for Dart. If accomplished, this 2024 Ole Miss team will be the third team to do so in the last five seasons.
“Anytime you can get into double digits, especially playing in the SEC, that is a hard thing to do. I think that is definitely a huge goal.”
~ Dart on getting a 10th win this season
Up next
The Ole Miss Rebel football team will continue their preparation before hitting the road to Jacksonville later this week. On Jan. 2 at 6:30 pm CT in EverBank Stadium, the No. 14 Rebels will take on the Duke Blue Devils in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
(Feature image credit: Karis Chambliss, Rebel Walk)
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
