Jaxson Dart Draws Rave Reviews From Lane Kiffin During QB Competition

The Ole Miss head coach is liking the direction his quarterback is heading during fall camp.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Lane Kiffin has not officially named a starting quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels in 2023, but his analysis of Jaxson Dart continues to be praise-heavy.

Kiffin was made available to the media on Monday after another day of fall camp, and a question was posed about his relationship with Dart, specifically if it is similar to the relationship he had with former Rebel quarterback Matt Corral. While Kiffin believes that question is more geared for a player, he did throw in compliments on his quarterback's development and leadership in the locker room.

"I like Jaxson a lot," Kiffin said. "I think he's matured a lot, developed a lot, his game's a lot better in a year. He's mature, but he's still young. I like Jaxson a lot, and he's really grown into a leader of this team. 

"(The team) voted that leadership group, and he was up there as high as anybody, in their opinion. That says a lot because he's not really vocal that way. He's just won them over by how he invests in them."

Kiffin also fielded a question regarding the use of Quinshon Judkins this season as the running back enters his second year of college ball. Although Dart spent a year with the USC Trojans before coming to Oxford, he is entering his second season in Kiffin's offense just like Judkins, meaning that he could be poised for a positive jump.

"I think in Year 2 with players, you take the next step," Kiffin said. "The player's got to get better at these little things, but you can also take the next step in doing more things. Whether that's a quarterback or a running back. We are looking at some things with (Judkins), and he is uniquely gifted for a bigger, stocky guy who can play in the passing game."

If Dart wins the quarterback job this fall, he and Judkins could be a "year-two tandem" for the Rebels that could give this offense some wrinkles it did not see a season ago.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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