Lane Kiffin assesses where Ole Miss stands at QB behind Jaxson Dart

There’s no competition for QB1 at Ole Miss as Jaxson Dart is the clear starter, but the battle to be his backup is heating up. Walker Howard and Austin Simmons are considered the main two candidates, but true freshman AJ Maddox has also been impressive.

Rebels coach Lane Kiffin offered his thoughts, saying that all have played well. However, he went on to add that Ole Miss “should probably expect more” from Howard given the experience that he has.

“I think that they’ve both done a really good job,” he said. “AJ Maddox has done a really good job too. It’s been really competitive in there. I think that all three are really smart and really do a good job handling and running the offense. We should probably expect more out of Walker being the veteran of those three, but all three have done a really good job.”

Howard is set to enter his second season in Oxford after transferring from LSU last year. He appeared in only two games to finish 3-of-4 passing for 56 yards.

Although he has limited experience in college, Howard brings plenty of potential as a former four-star prospect in the 2022 cycle. He ranked as the No. 45 overall player and No. 6 quarterback according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Simmons will be the primary competition for Howard to land the backup role this season. He is also a pitcher for the Rebels baseball team who made three relief appearances in 2024.

He has yet to appear in any games with the football team but is doing enough to stand out to Kiffin in practice.

Finally, Maddox joins the team as a local product who led Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg to a state title as a senior this past year. He ranks as the No. 26 quarterback and No. 13 player from the state of Mississippi according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

With so much talent ahead of him, it’s hard to see Maddox getting much playing time this season. However, he should have a bright future and is off to a good start.

Ole Miss ranked as the No. 19 passing offense in the country this past season and, with Dart as well as the talent behind him, should once again be among the top aerial attacks. The Rebels kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Furman.