Senior Bowl Report: Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart adds more fuel to rising NFL Draft stock

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had some trouble with under-center snaps this week during Senior Bowl practices. 

His week was an otherwise resounding success.

Dart all but solidified his position as QB3 in the 2025 NFL Draft with a strong showing in the week-long, next-level showcase. All 32 teams were represented in Mobile, Alabama.

Dart carried (4) more times than he threw (3) in a 22-19 win for his American Team over the National Team. His primary highlights were a first-half, 39-yard flea flicker to TCU wide receiver Jack Bech and a rushing score.

Bech later walked-off the win with a touchdown catch.

“There’s no doubt Dart had the best week among the QBs here in Mobile,” CBS draft analyst Ryan Wilson wrote of Dart this week. “His arm strength is better in person than on tape. And he’s gone a long way in solidifying himself as QB3, at least with some 80 days until the actual draft.”

Every Jaxson Dart Throw From the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/dHP8NdLE1G

— awthentik (@awthentik) February 1, 2025

Dart was one of six Rebels who participated in the Senior Bowl. 

The others were cornerback Trey Amos, kicker Caden Davis and defensive linemen Walter Nolen, Jared Ivey and Princely Umanmielen.

Amos’ stay was cut short by injury. Umanmielen had a sack in the game.

“I’ve loved it,” Dart said of his three-year Ole Miss career. “Honestly, each year improving our offense and the different schemes and personnel groupings and really just everything involved, felt like we took it to another level this year, especially in the pass game, which was a lot of fun. 

“There’s a misconception about the offense I play in. People like to compare me to Matt Corral, which I get it, us being Ole Miss quarterbacks. But we also had two different offensive coordinators. I love what coach (Charlie) Weis has done. He’s had a ton of NFL experience for himself, obviously his dad being a Super-Bowl-winning coach. Coach (Joe) Judge had a ton of years in the NFL and was a head coach recently. 

“Scheme-wise and all that, that development part of things, I feel like (Ole Miss has) done a great job of putting me in position of taking that next leap to the NFL.”

Jaxson Dart is going in round 1

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 31, 2025

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Dart threw for 4,729 yards, 29 touchdowns and an SEC-leading 329.2 yards this season. 

His 10.8 yards per attempt and 180.7 rating were best in the nation.

He’s Ole Miss’ all-time leader in wins (28).

“You’ve seen continual improvement in Jaxson Dart,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said earlier this week. “There’s a lot more verbiage here. Lane (Kiffin) talked about now they tried to shorten a lot of that down at Ole Miss so they could play at that hyper-tempo they play at. That’s not something you see on a regular basis in the NFL.

“He’s talented enough to do all the things they ask him to do at the NFL level, and he has enough mental horsepower to absorb all this information and use it in real time. It’s getting better and better and better. 

“When he’s clean and sure of what the call is and everyone’s doing their job, you see … why he’s the all-time passing leader in Ole Miss history. He can push the ball wherever you need him to, and he can do all the things you need an NFL-caliber quarterback to do.”

Jaxson Dart is the unquestioned QB1 at the #SeniorBowl this week, which should NOT surprise.

He's been killing it both on and off the field and should be considered much closer to QB2 than he is QB4 in the 2025 NFL Draft class at this point.https://t.co/zkV7gEA36l

— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) January 30, 2025

Dart this season became one of just four players in SEC history with 12,000 total career yards. 

He broke the single-season Ole Miss passing and total offense records, as well as his own school records for single-bowl passing yards and total offense.

Dart’s is listed as the draft’s No. 41 overall prospect by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network. Nolen is No. 26. 

Dart was named the top quarterback on American at the Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week awards ceremony. He threw for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns in three Ole Miss seasons. Dart threw just 22 interceptions. 

He also ran for 1,500 yards and 12 scores.

“I think a lot of times in the NFL there’s so much longer verbiage and terminology, which create over time a shortened-down (version) so we can play faster,” Kiffin said of Dart on ESPN2. “But he still has a lot of the concepts, a lot of the knowledge for it. And he can adapt to anything, so he’ll be awesome.

“He cared so much about his team, about his program, about the university. Just really unique kid that comes from an amazing family.”