Jaxson Dart understands the bigger picture

Sep 15, 2023

Jaxson Dart's improved play this spring quieted much of the talk of a quarterback competition that dominated the pre-spring storylines.

OXFORD — Ole Miss junior quarterback Jaxson Dart will admit: the first few weeks of 2023 were a bit confusing.

Dart was a highly-coveted, five-star member of Ole Miss’ top-five ranked 2022 transfer portal class.He began his career at USC, throwing for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns over six games in 2021. Dart was in a battle last offseason for the starting job with Luke Altmyer. Dart and Altmyer alternated starts the first two games of 2022 before Dart ultimately won the battle.

Dart started 12 games in 2022, throwing for 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding 614 yards rushing. Altmyer has since transferred to Illinois, and Kinkead Dent transferred to UT Martin.

On Jan. 18, former four-star recruit Walker Howard transferred to Ole Miss from LSU. The very next day, Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders — a four-year starter for the Cowboys and former first-team All-Big 12 pick — chose to make Oxford his home, too.

There were moments while the flurry of changes took place that Dart wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel. But after some reflection and a few deep breaths, Dart realized what the bigger plan was. And he knew this new challenge was another chance to take his game to the next level.

Nothing about the Rebels’ offseason quarterback moves have made Dart question himself or his ability to lead Ole Miss in 2023. He’s a competitor through and through, and an improved position room isn’t going to change the way he goes about his business. He’s facing this battle head-on and becoming better because of it.

“I think you do. You definitely do take it personally. I think there’s things that, quite honestly, that I felt when it all happened, that I didn’t really understand,” Dart said. “I had to kind of take (a step) back and take a different perspective and, obviously realizing I was the only quarterback on scholarship is a big reason of why you bring in quarterbacks.

“ … With myself, my status, my confidence, that stuff has never wavered for me, and I’ve always been confident in my abilities. I just think me being able to take a big step from Year 1 to Year 2 has been a big points of emphasis for me and something I’m really excited about.”

A season ago, Dart took his occasional lumps in the Rebels’ offense. At USC, Dart played in a pass-heavy, Air Raid offense. Under Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., the offense is largely contingent on run-pass options — RPOs — which is something Dart said he hadn’t done much in his football career prior to transferring. Dart threw interceptions in eight games, including a three-interception performance in a 42-25 loss to Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.

After being on-campus for a year-and-a-half and with a season under his belt, Dart is far more comfortable with the offense than he’s ever been, and that’s shown in practices since the spring. Dart was lauded by Kiffin and his teammates for committing just a single turnover during spring practice and the Grove Bowl, and he has looked particularly sharp over the first few practices this fall. His goal has been to be more efficient and to “not make the same mistakes twice.”

Dart also said he is in a far better headspace than he was a year ago as well. The transition for any teenager to a college campus tends difficult. Dart made the change twice in the span of less than a calendar year and wound up more than 1,600 miles away from his home in Utah. He’s made Oxford his home, and he is comfortable. There is something to be said for that.

“For you to play at your best, you have to be comfortable with where you’re at. I think at times last year, it wasn’t that I felt uncomfortable, but I just didn't feel like I had completely settled into where I was at,” Dart said. “When you’re feeling that way, there's just other things that are involved in your head that don't allow you to just play at your best … And I've been able to this year kind of find my crowd, my hobbies, just kind of what I like to do outside of football, and really enjoy the place where I'm at.”

Dart was asked Wednesday whether or not he felt he had done enough to be the Rebels’ starting quarterback this fall. He calmly smiled and reiterated the confidence he has in himself and that his teammates have in him. He’s self-assured, but don’t mistake that for complacency. Dart is once again ready — and eager — to compete.

“I just want to perform at the highest level and develop myself into being the player that I want to be. I understand (the quarterback additions) now,” Dart said. “I’ve been able to kind of just look at it with a different perspective and understand the moves that we made. But at the same time, I’m a competitor and I’m going to have the same exact mindset, day in and day out.”

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