DALLAS — For all the things Ole Miss senior quarterback Jaxson Dart brings to the table physically, it’s the intangibles his teammates and coaches laud first.
After a bumpy first year at Ole Miss following his transfer from USC, Dart made strides in his second year as the Rebels’ starter in 2023, throwing for 3,364 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions with another 389 yards and eight touchdowns rushing. He threw for 379 yards and had four total touchdowns in the Rebels’ 38-25 Peach Bowl win over Penn State.
Dart was one of three Ole Miss player representatives at 2024 SEC Media Days on Monday, joining senior receiver Tre Harris and senior defensive end Jared Ivey. The return of the aforementioned trio — combined with several other key returnees and transfer portal additions — has Ole Miss as an almost certain preseason top-10 and as a popular pick for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
During his breakout session with the media, Dart’s interview table was among the most crowded of the afternoon, with reporters lining up several rows deep to get a glimpse and a few words from the Utah native who finds himself on the short list of preseason Heisman Trophy contenders.
Dart has long been commended by teammates and coaches as a dynamic leader. He explained in his own words what leadership is to him.
“A leader is bringing along others to help them play their very best,” Dart said. “And I feel like I’ve kind of embraced that role. I’ve made so many great, genuine relationships with my teammates, and I think that we just have a trust with each other and an understanding and hold each other accountable to play and to give all that we have.”
The steps Dart took from Year 1 to Year 2 in the Rebels’ dynamic offense were dramatic — he cut his interceptions by more than half and added nearly 20 points to his efficiency rating. He ranked among the national leaders in yards per attempt and yards per completion. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was asked Monday about the next steps in Dart’s development. He didn’t have a ton of suggestions.
“The steps we would normally say, I think he did late in the year,” Kiffin said. “Taking care of the ball and development of the rest of the players around him. Sometimes, as you get to this point, you have to really work on their ego, making sure they’re a team player with that position, because that just comes naturally with the ball in your hand all the time. But he’s so well grounded that I don’t think that’s an issue with him.”
When healthy last season, Harris was Dart’s top target and was among the most productive receivers in the country. The Louisiana Tech transfer led the Rebels with 985 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also Dart’s roommate the night before games last year and is close with his signal caller. Harris expanded upon what allows Dart to lead so effortlessly.
It’s about more than just being a hard worker. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and forming true relationships with every part of the team. All of it is genuine. Harris’ bond with Dart was fortified before last season even began, when Dart brought Harris to Los Angeles to train.
“Someone who’s not scared to criticize themselves is something that’s huge, and that’s something that he does. And that’s something that he’ll ask me to do for him,” Harris said. “And also, on top of that, it’s just being able to talk to anybody on the team. He goes out of his way to talk to everyone and to try to form a bond with each and every person on the team. Those two things are some of the biggest things that I’ve seen from him this year, and just the way he’s able to pursue the leadership role and show everybody the way, and which is the right way and the way we should be going.”
During the spring, Kiffin noted that he had never seen a player help put together a roster more than Dart had in the offseason — he was FaceTiming transfer portal targets and building relationships before players ever arrived on campus. It’s those qualities, Kiffin said, that make him believe his quarterback could have a career on the sidelines if he so desires.
“(He is) just a really unique leader that — and I don’t know that he ever wants to coach someday — that would be a phenomenal head coach, by the way he just impacts people around him, but the time he spends with them,” Kiffin said.
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