Jaxson Dart credits a throwing session with Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud for improved performance
The expectations entering this season was Jaxson Dart would take that next step in year two at Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin‘s offense. So far Dart has shown the growth in his game and the results are speaking for him.
Dart has the Rebels sitting at No. 9 in the College Football Playoff Rankings with an 8-1 record heading into the biggest game of his college career at No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Through nine games Dart’s stats are the clear evidence he has put in the work to improve his game and rise to become one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. He has thrown for 16 touchdown passes and just four shy from tying his 2022 total and been smarter with the football, throwing seven less interceptions (4) than he did all of last season (11).
Last Saturday’s performance against Texas A&M earned Dart this week’s Manning Award Quarterback of the Week honor. Dart completed 72.7 percent of his passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in the Rebels 38-35 win over the Aggies.
Dart is also just over 500 passing yards away from tying his total from last year of 2,974 with three regular season games plus a bowl game remaining.
Plenty of reasons for why the Ole Miss signal caller is excelling this season and a better clip than 2022 but during Dart’s appearance on SEC Network’s Outside the Pocket on Wednesday he tipped his helmet to Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and an offseason throwing session between the trio.
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“Definitely. When you’re able to learn from some of the best to do it. I’ve been training with those guys since high school,” Dart said. “I’ve obviously made a great relationship with them off the field, but credit to them and their success and being open to me about helping me throughout my preparation and seeing how they handle things. Seeing how they handle adversity. I think that’s a huge part for me of being able to mature myself coming from USC and making the transition all the way to the South.”
When Dart entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season Kiffin knew he would be a good fit for the Ole Miss offense.
Prior to Dart coming from USC to Ole Miss in January of last year Kiffin watched plenty of film and also had mutual contacts that he used to learn as much about Dart as he could.
When Kiffin got Dart to campus the Kiffin was convinced even more he found his quarterback.
“I just thought his high school film, extremely competitive and could make so many plays,” Kiffin said of Dart during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “Then start as a freshman at USC says a lot. Very close relationship with Clay Helton, so talked to Clay through that process about (Dart). Just really enjoyed his visit here. Meeting him and how serious he was about football and thought he’d do a great job here.”
The relationship has flourished in Oxford, though Dart has had to win out the starting job twice the last two springs, beating Luke Altmyer last year and Spencer Sanders this fall.
Saturday is a chance for Dart to show how prepared he is to take another big step forward.
