Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart: Lane Kiffin ‘one of my best friends’
Jaxson Dart is ‘like a son’ to Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin.
The feeling’s mutual.
Dart on Tuesday became the first Ole Miss quarterback since Eli Manning in 2003 named first-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches. He was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
However, Dart lost out to Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
“He’s meant so much,” Dart said this week in an interview with the National Football Foundation, which awards the trophy. “The coach I committed to out of the transfer portal after my freshman year. Really just believing in his plan and his vision for me.
“Our relationship has been through a lot from the moment I got there to now. I can really say that not only is he my head coach, but he’s also one of my best friends, whether it’s spending time in the film room (or) playing pickle ball against each other. Our relationship has been super strong. He’s been somebody I’ve looked up to and a big influence in my college experience.”
Dart this season passed Manning to become the new Ole Miss all-time passing leader. He’s second in career touchdowns (68).
Dart is poised to jump Matt Corral for the single-season record for yards per pass attempt. Dart’s at 10.7. Corral averaged 10.2. Dart is fourth in the nation in passing yards (3,875). He won the Conerly Trophy last week.
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Dart will star in one final game for the Rebels in the Gator Bowl.
No. 14 Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC) and Duke (9-3, 5-3) face off on January 2, 2025. ESPN will carry the game, which will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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“It’s who he is,” Kiffin said of Dart’s decision to play rather than opt-out. “When I asked him, he didn’t even blink. ‘Of course I’m playing.’ It’s just who he is.
“Unbelievable leader, teammate and friend to these guys. I think of him as like another son to me. He’s just been awesome — to see him grow and how he treats people. He’s amazing. I’m really proud of him.”
The William V. Campbell Trophy is widely known as the ‘academic Heisman.’ It honors the college football player who best exemplifies excellence on and off the field, including community service and academic achievement.
“It just really starts with my mom setting that example early on,” Dart said of being a finalist. “Trying to do all I can to have the same standard I do on the field off the field and in academics.”
