OXFORD – Before he had ever taken a single snap at Ole Miss, head coach Lane Kiffin knew Jaxson Dart had a different set of intangibles. You can learn more about someone from his or her parents than game tape could ever hope to show. And, to be sure, the tape was pretty good, too.
Dart was the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior at Corner Canyon High School in Utah, throwing for 4,691 yards and 67 touchdowns with an additional 1,195 rushing yards. He was a four-star recruit and began his career at USC, where he played in six games as a true freshman in 2021. Dart threw for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns in the Trojans’ air raid offense and entered the transfer portal following USC’s coaching change.
Dart was among the highest-rated transfers in the country and had his pick of nearly anywhere, and his final choices came down to Oklahoma and Ole Miss. When Kiffin scouted him in the portal process, he turned to his high school tape. In addition to the talent, he saw a gritty, tough leader – qualities that have endeared the senior to the Ole Miss faithful over the last three seasons.
But there is another side to Dart you don’t see on the field every weekend, Kiffin notes. It’s the side that shows immense gratitude for every opportunity that has come his way and for the people who have helped him reach those heights. Those qualities, Kiffin says, are seen in his parents, Brandon and Kara.
The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“We saw some of that in his high school film, the style that he played. And then just really getting to know his parents,” Kiffin said. “Usually awesome kids come from awesome parents. And whether that’s how they play – mom runs marathons and trains every day, dad was a great defensive player (at Utah). So, that personality’s in there.
“But then you have this whole other side. They’re here yesterday, they brought blankets that they brought from Utah … Jaxson’s walking up the stairs with his parents, taking them to every single coach up here, just thanking them for helping Jaxson. They’re just a really cool family. I’m fortunate to have met them.”
The USC transfer, of course, wound up coming to Ole Miss. He has since set program records for passing yards and total offense – passing names like Eli Manning and Bo Wallace in the process – and led the Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history last year. He is 27-10 as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback. He finished 2-1 in the Egg Bowl, capped off by Friday’s 26-14 win in his home finale and Senior Day. Dart and Kiffin shared a heartfelt, tear-filled embrace on the field after the win.
“There’s a way you want your son to be, that’s what you want to have. Complete team player who doesn’t care about stats or anything,” Kiffin said. ” … He cares about this team, this university… That doesn’t happen a lot anymore in college football if you look around. This guy is special. I hope people appreciate him.”
Dart lost his first matchup against Mississippi State in 2022 – a heartbreaking 24-22 defeat at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium where the Rebels scored late but failed to convert the tying two-point conversion. After that game, Dart says he wrote himself a note: he was never going to lose the Egg Bowl again.
He came back to Ole Miss for his senior season to be part of what fellow returners called “The Last Dance” and a shot at winning the national championship. The 2024 season hasn’t necessarily gone according to plan; at 9-3 – the three losses coming by a combined 13 points – the Rebels are rooting for chaos over the next week for a chance at making it to the College Football Playoff.
But if there’s one thing Dart can say for sure, it’s that he never left anything in the tank.
“There’s a lot of pride. There’s a lot of time. I gave this place my all. I can firmly and confidently say that,” Dart said. “ … I wanted to leave it better than when I came in here with. And when you just see the group of guys that we brought in and you kind of take the time to look back on all the wins and the successes and all the adversity, I’m grateful for all of it. And I’m happy that I was able to end it the right way, and just hope for more opportunities to represent this place in the best way that I can.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
