Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart disputes any criticism of his arm strength.
Last season, the senior finished third in the SEC in passing, tossing for 3,364 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions while also scoring eight times on the ground. The former four-star helped lead the Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history before opting out of the NFL to play one more season at Oxford.
Dart took to X (previously Twitter) on Thursday night to respond to a tweet containing a comment from an SEC coach. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg queried the unidentified staffer about Dart’s NFL prospects.
“I don’t know that his arm is as big as some in the league,” the coach added, according to Rittenberg. Dart posted an emoji with a bewildered expression and included a video clip from a camp last summer in which he launched a fantastic deep pass to the endzone from what seems to be the 25-yard line.
Dart later deleted the post.
Dart responded to a tweet that did not include the whole quote. The coach went on to describe Dart as a stat machine without NFL arm strength. “He has good stats, but I’m not sure if he has a big NFL arm or anything,” an SEC coach told Rittenberg. It’s safe to say Dart has benefited from having offensive genius Lane Kiffin on his side. But that shouldn’t detract from the level that the Kaysville, Utah native has already reached, especially with a busy year ahead.
It’s worth noting that in the Peach Bowl, Dart threw for 379 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions while also scoring on the ground against Penn State. The Nittany Lions entered the game with the country’s second-best defense, but they allowed 514 yards of offense in a 38-25 loss. This season, NFL scouts will have plenty of opportunities to observe Dart’s live arm in action against top defensive talent. And opposing coaches have no say.
The Rebels will travel to Death Valley to face No. 13 LSU (October 12) before hosting No. 16 Oklahoma (October 26) and No. 1 Georgia (November 9). Dart might be high on the Heisman Trophy list and NFL draft lists if he performs well in that slate, which is critical to Ole Miss’ chances at the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff. Dart and the Rebels will start the 2024 season at home against Furman on August 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (SECN+).
