Jaxson Dart's decision on his future is on hold with Ole Miss 'on the verge' of making history
In the minutes after Ole Miss secured its third Egg Bowl victory in the last four years quarterback Jaxson Dart was processing the victory but also subtly campaigning for game No. 13 on the Rebels schedule.
For a second time in three seasons Ole Miss finished with a 10-win regular season but was not really in the conversation for a New Year’s Six bowl, as of Thanksgiving weekend. A Missouri rout over Arkansas 24 hours later all but seemed to seal the Rebels fate for heading to Orlando and a date with Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
Dart was firmly in the camp of those who felt Ole Miss did enough to earn a return trip to the New Year’s Six bowls for a second time in three years. The College Football Playoff committee agreed, sending the Rebels to Atlanta to play No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl.
There is a lot happening within the Ole Miss football program right now from roster management and retention to transfer portal recruiting and bowl practices underway. For Dart there is a decision that needs to be formally finalized regarding his future with the Rebels or the NFL.
For now the junior signal caller is putting that on the back burner and fully focusing on playing his best in a game that checks off a goal he had when coming to Ole Miss.
“I’ve always wanted to play in a game like this,” Dart said when speaking to the media on Wednesday. “I’ve always wanted to play in a really big bowl game. It’s just fruits of your labor of everything that you put in. You want to end things off the right way and for the guys coming back it carries a lot of momentum for them.
“It’s just a great opportunity for us as a team to see how far that we’ve come and to really finish this off the way that we wanted to and the way that we worked this whole offseason and season for.”
Dart is one of the last players on the Ole Miss offense that has yet to announce if he will return in 2024 or not.
Last month head coach Lane Kiffin announced, possibly prematurely, during a RebTalk broadcast that Dart was planning to return for a third season. Two days later after the ULM game Dart, and Kiffin, walked those comments back and leaving the decision up in the air.
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It is looking like Kiffin and Ole Miss will not know Dart’s future plans until the first of the year, at least publicly.
“As of right now I’m just focused on the bowl game,” Dart said. “We’re going to take that decision as a family decision. There’s a time and place for that but right now I’m just fully focused on the bowl game and winning this game.”
What could coax Dart into staying in Oxford one more fall is the fact three major weapons of his will be back roaming the field inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in 2024.
Receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins plus tight end Caden Prieskorn all announced over the weekend they will remain a Rebels for one more season. With that trio and Quinshon Judkins set for a junior season those are all enticing incentives for Dart when he does sit down to ponder his future.
“It’s definitely a huge aspect of what I’m looking for,” Dart added. “A big part and definitely a factor. I think every single one of those guys are elite at their position. Like I said, definitely plays a factor.”
