Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss bounced back from the disappointment of their College Football Playoff snub in style on Thursday, routing Duke 52-20 in the Gator Bowl.
The Rebels narrowly missed out on a place in the 12-team playoff, much to the chagrin of head coach Lane Kiffin, but they were a class above the Blue Devils in Jacksonville. Dart, playing the final game of his collegiate career, was at the peak of his powers.
The senior quarterback threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns in a dominant victory at EverBank Stadium, leaving an excellent final impression on scouts ahead of April’s NFL Draft. The 21-year-old finishes the season with 3,875 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
Dart is projected to be a third or fourth-round pick when the selections are made in Green Bay in the spring, ranked as the No. 7 quarterback on the ESPN big board. However, scouts are intrigued by Dart’s arm strength and his ability to force the ball downfield, which could be invaluable tools in the right setup at the next level.
Hes going to be a major steal in the draft,” an anonymous NFL scout told FOX reporter Jordan Schultz when asked about Dart’s draft stock.
“Throws the ball down the field as well as anyone, which I realize is kind of this lost skill in todays game, but thats what makes him so interesting. Get Dart a couple [of] speed guys and he can really hurt you.
Dart transferred to Ole Miss in 2022 after spending his freshman year at USC. The Utah native became the starter as a sophomore and would lead the program to a highly impressive 11-2 season the following year.
After putting the finishing touches on a 10-3 season on Thursday with victory over 9-4 Duke, Dart was in a reflective mood expressing his gratitude for his time working under Kiffin.
“It starts at the top with Coach Kiffin,” he said of his successful career at Ole Miss. “He changed this program, that’s why I came here. I saw the excitement and the vision for it. When you get a group of guys that see it the same way and you build a really strong culture, it just shapes out that way.
“I’ve been very blessed to be part of this program and I’m forever thankful for it. This place changed my life. It was the best decision that I made and the relationships I’ve built here will last a lifetime.”
Leave a Reply