A 6’3″ and 210 lb QB entered USC’s 2021 recruitment class. Initially, he was just a 4-star prospect with a lot to prove. Not too much hype was made on his arrival, and a ‘world-class’ tag was not there to back him up. Yet, the QB proved everyone wrong, producing a breakthrough season with the Trojans, and hopped onto Lane Kiffin’s camp at Ole Miss after USC hired Lincoln Riley. Jaxson Dart’s story is quite exceptional in that way. Moreover, it could have been more thrilling, according to Lane Kiffin’s recent revelation.
For those who saw the Arkansas game, where Ole Miss met them on the road, you do not need to know Dart’s prowess. But for the less versed, that was the game where the QB was like a ghost possessed. Notching up those deep balls and rushes and dismantling the Razorbacks by 63-31. The QB finished with 515 passing yards in that game and led the rushing charts too, with his 47 rushing yards. This was a player who didn’t just make a statement this season with his 4,279 passing and 495 rushing yards but showed teams how it’s done. Imagine the QB donning the red and navy and entering the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium again.
The scenario could have been a real one, according to a recent revelation by the Ole Miss head coach, Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, on Theo Von’s podcast, revealed the insider details when Von asked the head coach about Diego Pavia’s win over the NCAA, as the Vanderbilt QB earned extra years in eligibility. The head coach said the same about Dart but also mentioned the failure to win the appeal.
“We tried it.” Kiffin said about appealing to the NCAA for Dart’s extra year of eligibility. But the head coach also described the sad part that came out of it. “We didn’t win it; Jaxson actually tried to get another year, or at least see if the option was there, and you know, they denied it.” Well, if the appeal had been successful, maybe Dart would have been practicing this year again with the team in spring practices. Maybe he would have ultimately won the Heisman; who knows? Still, this begs the question: How did Pavia manage to get extra years of eligibility, but Dart didn’t?
Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia celebrates with fans after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Well, Pavia had a full-fledged legal battle with the NCAA, so much so that the QB dragged the regulatory body to court. The issue stemmed from the fact that the NCAA was denying extra eligibility to Pavia and was counting his JUCO years, too. This became a major bone of contention, and Pavia’s lawyer argued. “A junior college season shouldn’t be the equivalent of an NCAA season when the junior college season has no meaningful opportunities to earn NIL, no television exposure.”
The Vanderbilt QB who slayed the Giants, Alabama, ultimately won the battle and will now play in the 2025 season again. But, even though Dart got rejected from earning an extra year, the future isn’t so bleak for the former Ole Miss QB.
Shocking verdict turns Jaxson Dart’s draft stock?
Dart has the chance to become the first quarterback since Ole Miss Eli Manning was drafted in the first round. There have been many speculations about the QB’s potential spots, but teams view him as a valuable commodity because of his exceptional dual-threat prowess. The Cleveland Browns and other teams, including the Giants, had arranged a private workout with the quarterback. Moreover, the QB also “put on a show,” as Ian Rapoport reported on his pro day at Ole Miss. This means the stock is getting higher and higher every day. Yet, there may be an exception too.
According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the QB might now be ‘going big’ in the 2025 draft. “Two big factors make Dart a risky pick,” wrote Knox. “For one, he’s a relatively unpolished prospect with minimal experience in a pro-style offense. The bigger issue is a lack of poise and pocket that could be largely problematic at the next level.”
The offense that Kiffin employed at Ole Miss was the most productive in all of college football, as his team finished at 10-3 overall. The offense, though pass-heavy, still employed Dart’s rushing prowess in the up-tempo spread attack. The no-huddle offense created problems for many SEC powerhouses, too, like Georgia and Oklahoma, against whom Kiffin came up trumps. All in all, if given some time, it won’t be too difficult for Dart to fit into the NFL teams’ offense, too.
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