Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Going All-In For Jaxson Dart's 'Last Dance' in 2024

"For those last few great ones out there, come join us for the last dance. I'm back."

Those were the words typed into X (formerly Twitter) by Jaxson Dart in January when he announced his return for another season with the Ole Miss Rebels. It was largely assumed that Dart would stay in Oxford for 2024, but this announcement put any and all speculation to rest.

And then, the Rebels got to work.

Head coach Lane Kiffin has long been dubbed "The Portal King," taking a unique approach to what he calls a "broken system" in college football and utilizing the transfer portal to help build his roster every year. Prep recruiting is one thing, but Kiffin has shown a willingness (or "eagerness") to bring in proven college commodities to Oxford in pursuit of greatness at Ole Miss.

And why would this year be any different? Ole Miss is in the catbird seat when it comes to a potential College Football Playoff berth this season, and the Rebels know it. They went 11-2 last year (the most single-season wins in program history) and captured a win in the Peach Bowl over Penn State. With the CFP expanding to include 12 teams, Ole Miss is the poster child for the programs who can benefit most from this change.

In the CFP era (2014 and beyond), Ole Miss has reached a New Year's Six bowl four times (2014, 2015, 2021, 2023). With the new postseason format, those NY6 berths can suddenly become playoff berths, and reaching the playoff (even in an expanded field) holds greater significance than just playing on or around New Year's Day.

To put it in layman's terms: Ole Miss is a really good college football program with a significantly-high ceiling, but it was going to be tough to crack the four-team playoff model on a consistent basis.

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) holds up the Peach Bowl trophy after a victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

So, Kiffin brought back a ton of talent on offense, raided the portal to boost the roster, and enlisted his quarterback for some help. Dart and his favorite passing target Tre Harris both helped sway the opinions of players considering Ole Miss this offseason because, as the quarterback so eloquently put it, this is "The Last Dance" for his college career.

After the 2024 campaign, Dart will seek a new life in professional football, so this season is for all the marbles. At this point, anything short of a College Football Playoff appearance would be deemed a disappointment for Ole Miss, given the talent on the roster and offseason expectations.

But there's still plenty of work to do, and Kiffin knows it. New names like defensive lineman Walter Nolen, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, and wide receiver Juice Wells are great additions on paper, but how will they mesh with the rest of the team?

Kiffin also knows, however, just how special this group can be if it transitions from the "best roster" he's had at Ole Miss to the "best team."

"This is definitely the best roster," Kiffin said at the SEC Spring Meetings. "I don't know if it'll be the best team. There's a lot to be figured out with that. Some of the significant players we have were out for spring, so we'll have a lot of work to do to bring them together to be the best team.

"A couple years ago, we won 10 regular season games and last year won 11 total games, most in school history. I do think the roster is better than that, but that's a lot of work to do to be a better team."

Still, the pieces are in place to make that happen this fall, and if anybody has a lot at stake, it's Dart and those who returned for one final season in the red and blue.