Jaxson Dart Discusses Transfer Portal, Decision to Join Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. -- Jaxson Dart was a "late bloomer" in the recruiting world, but he eventually became one of the most sought-after commodities in the college football world.
Dart spent his high school days at Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon, and it took a while before powerful programs began to take notice of the young quarterback, but he eventually committed to USC out of the prep level. Here's what SI All-American had to say after naming Dart to its Offensive First Team:
Utah was one of the first states to welcome back high school football and Dart jumped right into the national conversation with scholarship offer-inducing gaudy performances that would lead to an undefeated state title run. Few improved their stock in 2020 as the USC Trojan signee, who led the country in passing with 4,691 yards and 67 touchdowns, against just four interceptions, completing nearly 70% of his attempts along the way. Dart added 1,195 yards and a dozen more scores as a runner to set the Utah state single-season touchdown record.
Once Dart began to set these records on high school fields, programs began to court his interest. That process repeated once he entered the transfer portal after one season at USC in 2021.
"It's crazy," Dart said. "When I was being recruited out of high school, my recruitment came really late, so there were only a select few schools that I was in contact with. The second I got the email that I was going into the portal, I felt like I couldn't even look at my phone."
Entering the portal is similar to any other form of recruitment, at least in Dart's experience. Kids have a list of schools that draw their interest, and while that list evolves, it's a starting point for finding your next home.
"You kind of have schools that you're interested in before being in contact with them," Dart said, "so you try to be respectful to all the coaches, but you only have the few that you're looking at."
USC went through a regime change partway through Dart's first season on campus. Ultimately, that was a spark in his decision to enter the portal, a decision that ultimately led him to Oxford, Mississippi.
"I thought going to SC, it was going to be a little more stable with the coaching staff," Dart said, "so I had to make a decision as to what would be best for me for possibly the next three years. I was trying to find a stable place.
"I knew when I was going into the portal, I wanted to go to the SEC. It gets you developed for the NFL. It's an easier transition."
USC is located in Los Angeles, a city pushing 4 million residents. Dart left that city and transplanted to Oxford, Mississippi, a city with a little over 25,000 residents. That culture change is something that is different for the young quarterback, but he has enjoyed his Mississippi experience thus far.
"It's complete polar opposites to L.A.," Dart said. "It's more similar to Utah and how controlled the environments are and how low-key it is. I'm getting transitioned well into it, for sure. There aren't as many distractions around you."
This adjustment is easier for Dart because his predecessor, Matt Corral, is from California. They've had multiple talks about this change of scenery since Dart decided to come to Oxford.
"Me and Matt had a lot of conversations," Dart said, "and I can say with confidence that he likes the South more than the West Coast. He had nothing but really good things to say about Mississippi."
Despite its relatively-small size, Oxford and Ole Miss are consistently ranked among the best college towns and campuses in America, and Dart testified to that on Thursday.
"I still remember when me and Trigg came on our visit," Dart said, "and we walked into a little restaurant with our families, and the amount of people who came up to us and knew who we were, that was really cool. I love the support and how people are involved here."
Dart is in the midst of a quarterback battle this spring, one notably shared with incumbent Luke Altmyer who served as Corral's backup in 2021. After a historic season for Ole Miss on the gridiron last year, Dart believes that another could be on the horizon for the Rebels in 2022.
"We have a lot of really, really good players," Dart said. "I think we're going to have one of the most talented offenses in the SEC, and I'm super excited for it."
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