Oklahoma is Fully Aware of Ole Miss Dual-Threat QB Jaxson Dart

Ole Miss has a very experienced quarterback in Jaxson Dart, who is dangerous as a passer and with his legs.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) rushes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Oklahoma has had a better idea throughout the season who would be commanding Ole Miss’ offense even more so than its own. 

The Sooners will travel to Oxford to play No. 18 Ole Miss at 11 a.m. Saturday. For OU, sophomore Jackson Arnold will start at quarterback after being benched the past three games before coming in and replacing freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. against South Carolina last week. For the Rebels, it will be Jaxson Dart, a senior who has started 32 of the Rebels’ last 33 games. 

“Everything goes through Jaxson Dart,” OU coach Brent Venables said Wednesday during the SEC teleconference. “Fantastic player.”

Through seven games, Dart is third in the country in passing yards (2,384) and passing efficiency (182.07). Those stats go along with 14 touchdowns compared to only three interceptions. Throughout his career, which began at USC for a year, Dart has amassed 10,075 passing yards and 66 TDs. He’s also dangerous with his legs, running for 1,231 yards and 14 scores in his career. 

Many OU fans have been familiar with Dart since before his freshman year at USC. He came out of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, UT, as the Gatorade National Player of the Year after throwing for 4,691 yards and a state record 67 touchdowns with just four interceptions and also rushing for 1,195 yards and 12 TDs.

In 2021 at USC, Dart was Kedon Slovis' backup, and played in six games with three starts. He passed for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns, but when Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams arrived, Dart decided to transfer.

One of his top choices was Oklahoma, and he took a visit to Norman that was promising. But the Sooners had already received a commitment from Dillon Gabriel, who transferred from Central Florida to be reunited with Jeff Lebby at OU. So on Jan. 29, 2022, Dart committed to Ole Miss.

"Yeah, I love Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby," Dart said at SEC Media Days in July. "To be honest, it came down to Ole Miss and Oklahoma for me when I was in the portal. It was a tough decision, I have a great relationship with both of them... (The visit), I thought Norman was awesome and a lot of fun. I thought the support from the community was super cool and something that really stood out."

In his three seasons as a starter in Oxford, Dart has throw for 2,974 yards, 3,364 yards and, so far in 2024, 2,384 yards, with 57 touchdown passes and 12 rushing TDs as a Rebel. In his career, Dart has 10,075 yards passing, 1,229 rushing and 80 total touchdowns.

“He's got a great compliment of players around him, but really good system,” Venables said. “He's been well-coached. He's a decisive decision maker. He's got a big arm. He's incredibly accurate. And then he’s a threat – they do a lot in their run game where they try to put you in conflict and have some option-type principles. He's a good runner. He's big, he's strong, he can run through trash. He's just a really competitive guy that's a winner and has had a high level of success, so he's incredibly confident, as well.”

OU players are just as aware of Dart as their coach is as they prepare to bounce back after two straight losses at 4-3 overall this season. Despite the lack of success overall, though, OU’s defense has been the backbone of this team and has excelled at containing mobile quarterbacks. Last week, South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers ran for 28 yards, which was a season high by a QB against the Sooners this season. OU held standout Tennessee freshman Nico Iamaleava to 15 rushing yards on eight carries. Texas’ Quinn Ewers has been the only quarterback so far to rush for a touchdown against OU but totalled only 3 rushing yards. 

“I mean, you’re going to say this every time, you’ve got to stop the run game,” OU linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “That’s how it is every single time you go out on the field on defense. If you can stop the run game and make them one dimensional, it’s a lot easier. Especially with their offense, a lot of run RPOs, you’ve got to take that stuff away and make them one dimensional.”

But for the Sooners, they are surely not going to overlook the Rebels’ run game, especially when Dart has the ball in his hands. 

“Obviously he’s really good,” Stutsman said. "People don’t kind of respect the way he can run. Obviously he’s very talented at that. They do a lot of QB run game. I think a lot of people sleep on his ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with his legs.”