Charlie Weis Jr. comfortable with all four in ‘unique’ Ole Miss quarterback situation

Ole Miss has a unique situation at quarterback this season – four guys who Rebel Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Weis Jr, is comfortable with.

One, incumbent Jaxson Dart who has taken most of the practice reps with the number one offense last spring and this fall camp thus far.

Two, veteran Spencer Sanders who has started for four years for Power 5 Oklahoma State and has kept Dart on his toes. Throughout. Sanders is currently number two, judging by practice reps, and the strong-arm competitor is pushing hard to prove his prowess.

Three, redshirt freshman Walker Howard and true freshman Austin Simmons have both shown they have the good to get the job done. Walker already knows the offense having gone through the spring while Simmons is in a learning curve right now, but is advancing well according to Weis.

What are the challenge of having four quarterbacks that are really good?

“The challenge is we have four guys who are high-caliber players and we have to get all four ready to play. We have to give them all an opportunity to show us and show their teammates what they can do,” Weis said after practice on Friday.

“Being able to manage those reps and opportunities for those guys has been a challenge, but it has been a fun room to work with. I commend them for how they have handled the competition in a mature way. They come to work each and every day to get better.”

RELATED: Ole Miss Training Camp Insider: Spencer Sanders (academics) misses practice

What is Weis looking for in a quarterback?

“There are a lot of things. Obviously, my job is to coach those guys up the best I can and ultimately let Coach Kiffin decide who starts,” he continued. “At the end of the day, that is his choice, his decision. Obviously, taking care of the ball is most important, making explosive plays, who can operate the offense the best, who can handle tempo. There are several factors that go into the decision.”

Weis feels Dart is way ahead of where he was at this time last year, coming in from Southern Cal and having to learn a new system and a new environment in a relatively quick manner.

“Jaxson is so much further ahead at this point than he was last year. I think people underestimate the advantage of having a year under your belt,” noted Wies. “He’s comfortable in the system, he knows what we want in every situation, Jaxson has become a more vocal leader and has taken ownership in this team.”

Part of taking ownership is becoming a leader, something Weis believes Jaxson is now excelling at.

“Jaxson has also grown as a leader. He’s now had time to develop relationships with his teammates to earn trust and spend quality time with them,” said Weis.  “It gives them a different, better perspective of him. It’s cool to see how much time he now pours into leadership and own much time he spends developing bonds with other players.”

Sanders and Howard both earned praise from Weis, but the questioning in the 15-minute press conference – the only one the media will have with an assistant coach this year – seemed to always go back to Simmons.

Hard workers. Smart. Competitive. Talented.

All words Weis used to describe both Sanders and Howard. But “new” is always more fun to talk about.

“It takes a special kid to come in and do what Austin has done. He was a sophomore in high school one day and playing college football the next,” Weis stated. “Austin is a very intelligent kid. He’s got a great mindset and mentality and did a great job when he made the decision to come here. Austin is learning the playbook right now. The basic things, he has down. But now that we’ve gotten into some more complicated things in day four and five and so on, I think it’s a little overwhelming.”

“Overall he has done a tremendous job, all things considered. He gets better daily and once again his mentality is fantastic. He’s got a chance to be real special. But people need to be patient and remember he’s only 17 years old. He’s got a ton of growing to do.”

Some services have predicted Ole Miss has one of the best quarterback rooms in the country.

From the sound of things, Charle Weis Jr. does not disagree.