Rebels QB Jaxson Dart Still Undecided On Future With Ole Miss In 2024
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin told fans Thursday during his weekly segment on "Reb Talk" that quarterback Jaxson Dart was set to return to Oxford in 2024.
Maybe the junior passer will, but Dart's comments differed from Kiffin's following the Rebels' 35-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday for the final game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
"I haven't really decided yet," Dart said. "I think (Kiffin) kind of said that to kind of put positive vibes out there.
"Got a lot of ball left to play. Once everything's over, I'll make that decision."
Dart's return would do wonders for No. 13 Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2 SEC) in its quest to make the College Football Playoff in 2024. The former USC passer drastically improved in Year 2 of the system, working on little details like timing and accuracy.
After transferring from USC and beating out Luke Altmyer, Dart led the Rebels to an 8-5 finish, capped off with a Texas Bowl loss to Texas Tech in Houston. This season, his production has been promising, as he's thrown for 2,889 passing yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with five interceptions.
Last season, Dart tossed 11 picks in 13 contests.
Dart's also been highly successful in the open field, rushing for 347 yards and seven scores.
Ole Miss Rebels Jaxson Dart warms up prior to kickoff
USA Today Sports
"That was a conversation between me and him and I kind of got caught off guard," Kiffin said. "I made sure that when I left the radio show, I said that to him, because that's really not my position to really say. When he's ready to talk to you guys about that, he will."
On Saturday, Dart completed 24 of 31 pass attempts for 310 yards and three touchdowns. The trio of scores all came in the third quarter after Ole Miss' offense struggled to find the end zone in the first half.
"I was super frustrated," Dart said of the first-half struggles. "Especially because it was senior night and you want to play good for those guys with all the work that they've put in.
"We had a lot of guys speak up in the locker room halftime and really helped guys focus back on track."
With a win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving, the Rebels would secure their second 10-win regular season in program history, and second under Kiffin. A New Year's Six Bowl bid isn't out of the question, either, heading into the final week of the regular season.
Making the CFP with two losses feels far-fetched at this point. Both losses for the Rebels came against Alabama and Georgia, who will meet for the third time in six seasons to determine the conference winner.
Next season's 12-team expansion could see Ole Miss make it into one of the final spots, but quarterback play will be essential. The Rebels have Walker Howard lined up behind Dart on the depth chart.
Kickoff from Davis Wade Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
