Back from Injury, Ole Miss’ AJ Maddox Talks QB Competition, Recovery, and Lessons from Dart
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss quarterback AJ Maddox addressed the media on Thursday afternoon in his first press conference of the 2025 season, offering insights into his recovery from a recent injury, his thoughts on the Rebels’ quarterback competition, and the lessons he’s learned from former starter Jaxson Dart.
Back from Injury, Ready to Roll
The former 4-star recruit began by addressing the hand injury that sidelined him during spring ball, confirming that he is close to being fully back to normal as fall camp heats up.
“Obviously it was tough, obviously I had to have surgery with it,” Maddox said.
“But I think I’m pretty much 100% back. Obviously with injuries you never really know—there’s always going to be something nagging with it—but I’m almost 100%, and I’m throwing the ball with a lot of zip right now and playing with a lot of confidence.”
AJ Maddox
The redshirt freshman from Oak Grove (Hattiesburg) High School has been the subject of optimism from coaches and teammates throughout the offseason, and his comments suggest he’s ready to compete for playing time.
On the addition of transfer QB Trinidad Chambliss: ‘I Came Here to Compete’
Ole Miss added another layer to its quarterback room this offseason with the transfer of Trinidad Chambliss, but Maddox made it clear that the added competition has only pushed him to be better.
“I don’t think it affected me at all. I came here to compete,” Maddox said confidently.
“[Chambliss] has done a really nice job of coming in and learning the offense. I feel like he’s done a very good job of coming in and picking up everything very fast and he’s made it a very competitive room.”
AJ Maddox
Adapting to the Offense
Asked about the complexity of learning Kiffin’s system, Maddox praised the coaching staff for their clarity and the program’s tempo-based attack.
“I don’t think there’s one thing that I would pinpoint and say it’s just ‘difficult,'” he explained.
“Coach Kiff and Coach Weis do an amazing job of just making everything simple… I do like the fact that we play with really fast tempo, which gives us the advantage when playing with defenses that aren’t set.”
AJ Maddox
Maddox also credited his development to careful observation of Rebel legend Jaxson Dart, who led the Rebels to a 10-win season last year before declaring for the NFL Draft.
“Picking up on the little intricacies that Dart would do just from notetaking and just how he practiced are some things that I took from it,” Maddox said.
Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
With a year already spent in the Ole Miss system, Maddox emphasized how much he values the experience and mentorship he received last season from Dart.
“Having [Dart] here was really big for me. One thing I wish I would’ve done more is sit down and really pick his brain about how he sculpted the game… but I knew my time would come and I’m just continuing to work right now.”
AJ Maddox on Jaxson Dart
“My mindset has always been the same, so it wasn’t really a problem for me,” he added.
As Ole Miss looks for another strong season in the SEC, the quarterback room headlined by Simmons, Maddox, and Chambliss will be one of the key storylines heading into Week 1. For now, Maddox’s poise and readiness are clear—and the competition is only just beginning.
Jacob Quaglino
Jacob is a New Orleans, LA native and Ole Miss alumni, Class of 2024 and staff writer with The Rebel Walk. He has been a diehard fan of all Ole Miss sports his entire life, with his earliest Ole Miss sports memory being the Rebels' iconic 2008 upset of then-No. 4 Florida. Among his other favorite Rebel sports memories are storming the field after beating LSU in 2023 and Georgia in 2024, watching the Rebels upset Alabama in back to back years in 2014-15, seeing the women's golf team win the school's first-ever NCAA-recognized national championship in 2021, and watching the Rebel baseball team win the College World Series in 2022. He remains exceedingly hopeful that the Ole Miss Athletics Department's national championship trophy collection will grow in the coming years. Outside of The Rebel Walk, Jacob also works for a local radio news station and has many interests and hobbies, including reading, writing, watching college sports, playing pickleball, and traveling.
