Duke's Manny Diaz: Players Like Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart Give 'Nightmares' to Defenses

Duke head coach Manny Diaz is preparing for a stiff challenge in this season's Gator Bowl when he faces Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Nov 29, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Duke head coach Manny Diaz is familiar with Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart, but only from a distance. Now, he has to prepare to face him in early January.

Last season, Diaz watched on television as his former defense at Penn State tried to contain Dart and the Rebels in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, a game that Ole Miss went on to win by a final score of 38-25. From that game alone, the head man for the Blue Devils was impressed with what he saw from the Rebels quarterback.

"I was a curious observer last year when Penn State was playing Ole Miss in Atlanta," Diaz said in a press conference on Tuesday. "It was weird watching that game on TV after spending the last years at Penn State. [Watched] his ability to execute at a high level against a very, very talented defense not just through the air, but also with his feet.

"Guys like that are the ones who give defensive coordinators nightmares, and when you add the experience and intangibles that Lane mentioned of who he is, teams and offenses usually respond to leaders like that, and it looks like why they've had the success that they've had."

Dart has certainly had a productive career with the Rebels, even if this season did end short of a College Football Playoff berth. Not only did he become the new all-time program leader in passing yardage and total offense this year, but he also posted a career-high in completion percentage (68.6%), passing yards (3,875) and passing touchdowns (25) with just six interceptions. His 177.7 passer rating ranks second among FBS quarterbacks, trailing only Indiana's Kurti Rouke.

The Ole Miss signal caller recently announced his intention to not opt out of the Gator Bowl, and Rebels coach Lane Kiffin praised Dart's leadership in this same press conference on Tuesday.

"Last week, I asked him if he was playing and told him possible bowls we were hearing, with Gator being one of those," Kiffin said in a press conference on Tuesday. "He said he was definitely playing and wanted to play his last game with these guys, and he encouraged some of the other guys who were in between playing or opting out for the draft.

"He's been an amazing leader. He's set a bunch of records here, but how he's been as a leader, and what he's been to this university has been awesome. This is another example of making sure he finishes what he started."

Kickoff on Jan. 2 between Ole Miss and Duke is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.