Ole Miss Rebels QB Jaxson Dart: ‘Our Identity Starts With Our Offensive Linemen'
OXFORD, Miss.—The Rebels have experienced a lot of change since the arrival of Head Coach Lane Kiffin.
Lane Kiffin was hired in December of 2019 and since then the Rebels have gone 22-8, made their first Sugar Bowl appearance since 2016, and started this season 7-0. Not only has Lane Kiffin brought relevancy back to this program, but he has also established a locker room built on the integrity of his players.
Senior defensive back AJ Finely, senior wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, and senior offensive lineman Nick Broeker have been Rebels their entire collegiate careers. This is crucial to cultivating a tightly knit locker room, especially for a team like the Rebels who had an extremely high percentage of roster turnover this offseason.
Several players have praised them for being good leaders, so it is extremely promising to see newcomers like sophomore transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart emphasize the importance of his teammates and coaches over himself. There is clearly a culture within this locker room, and it has quickly settled in.
Offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve, but because of the culture here, recognition is distributed equally.
“I think our identity as a team starts with our offensive lineman,” Dart said. “Every game is on their shoulders. They are so talented, and they execute at such a high level.”
The Rebels had three 100-yard rushers and ran for 448 yards as a team in their 48-34 victory over Auburn.
“We knew coming into this one that this game was huge for Auburn,” Dart said. “So we just stuck to the things we were doing by putting them on their heels.”
And when the rain delay impeded the Rebels from applying this constant pressure, the coaches were prepared and kept the team focused.
“The coaches came in and schemed some things up,” Dart said. “The extra time coupled with us having as smart of coaches as we do gave them time to show us the new plays they were putting in. We could not wait to dial it up.”
The rain delay was definitely a new experience for the team, but the preparation from the coaches was not.
“Every single week it's almost a brand-new playbook,” Dart said. “It is a test to how great our coaches are. The preparation they take to treat each week independently from the other makes it really fun for me.”
This preparation is evident given the fact that Mingo set a school record for most receiving yards in a game last week with 247, but he did not record even a single catch versus Auburn.
“Mingo is unselfish,” Dart said. “The most important thing for him is just to win. Kiffin and Mingo were actually excited about the success he had with the crack blocks.”
It takes big performances to win games, but it is the culture of a locker room that keeps a team levelheaded during a winning streak like the Rebels are on.
“We have guys that look far beyond just themselves,” Dart said. “I think it is going to be a big part for us finding success this season.”
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