Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart talks improvements, QB room and competition
Mar. 28—OXFORD — The high-profile additions to Ole Miss' quarterback room have only made incumbent starter Jaxson Dart better, Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday.
Dart, now a junior, threw for 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first season with Ole Miss. Despite the modest numbers, Ole Miss brought in two quarterbacks from the transfer portal — Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders and LSU's Walker Howard — to shore up a room that lacked depth following the departure of Luke Altmyer.
"I think it's been great for him. I think that it's natural for us to not want competition around, and (I) certainly understand that. But I think it's been really good for him," Kiffin said. "He's looked great, which — is strange to say for a returning starter, he's probably one of the most improved players out there. He looks better physically, mentally, everything. So, we've been very excited about him so far."
Sanders was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State with nearly 10,000 passing yards and nearly 2,000 rushing yards to his name. He was named first-team All-Big 12 in 2021 and led the Cowboys to a 12-2 record and Fiesta Bowl win that season. But he has been limited this spring as he recovers from an injury sustained while at Oklahoma State.
Howard was a highly-touted member of the Tigers' 2022 recruiting class as a four-star prospect.
Dart is used to quarterback competitions at this point, having started his career in one at USC before transferring to Ole Miss last offseason and finding himself in another with Altmyer. Dart said he knew the Rebels were going to add quarterbacks based on the depth in the room. He was also asked if he sees himself in another quarterback competition heading into the 2023 season.
"To be honest, I just see myself as the starter. I had Year One. I kind of established myself. Have Year Two, and kind of just getting more bonds with the guys on the team, being a leader. So, I feel like I've taken ownership of that," Dart said. "And I'm just ready to do my job, and I'm loving where I'm at right now. So, I just expect myself to have a great spring and keep performing the way I'm performing."
Dart was also asked about Kiffin's comments on his improvement and where he has grown the most. As much as it's about getting bigger and stronger, there's a major mental aspect to it as well. The goal, Dart said, is to have the type of comfort in the offense that allowed Matt Corral to make the type of jump he did between his first and second years under Kiffin.
"For me, that's kind of what I'm striving for. I'm striving ... to have a big year like (Corral) did. So, I think just, my knowledge of the game, kind of just being accustomed to this area," Dart said. "This will be Year Two for me, so just living here, really finding my group and my crowd. So, I'm just really comfortable with where I'm at, so I think a lot of that has played tribute to my performance."
