Jaxson Dart Feels Confident That Transfer-Heavy Rebels Can Handle Adversity in 2024

The Ole Miss Rebels have a load of talented transfers on their 2024 roster, but can they come together as a team and handle adversity when it inevitably strikes?

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) prepares for a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels have once again relied heavily on the transfer portal to build their roster for the upcoming season, but with that strategy comes its fair share of challenges.

Ole Miss OnSI recently highlighted some comments from college football analyst Greg McElroy who stated that "culture building" is a more difficult exercise in the portal as opposed to high school recruiting. Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has echoed some of that same sentiment, highlighting the differences between his 2022 and 2023 rosters when it came to handling adversity.

Last season's Ole Miss team was able to push through adversity and claim an 11-win season. The 2022 roster, however, seemed to crumble down the stretch.

The Rebels seem to be aware of how important uniting as a team will be for the upcoming season, and with so much talk on that subject from people outside the program, it's important to see how some of the leaders on the team feel about the current locker room culture.

Enter quarterback Jaxson Dart.

"I think any time when you bring in a big haul of transfer portal guys, it's going to be interesting the first time we face some adversity, kind of get punched in the mouth," Dart said at SEC Media Days. "I thought that that kind of defined our season last year, just how we were able to handle those situations, but I think that's something that I'm really looking forward to seeing.

"I want all the guys to understand that we've got to embrace that and take it full-on. I'm excited for it, but that will be a big step for us to see how things will play out."

It's one thing to understand a challenge, but it's another thing entirely to feel prepared to handle it. When asked about his confidence level on whether or not the Rebels can handle adversity with so many new faces this season, Dart remained optimistic.

"I feel really good about it," Dart said. "The offseason running and lifting is not easy, and I feel like our team is very mature. There's a ton of guys who have a ton of experience, which helps. It's not like you're bringing in a bunch of guys who have never done it before.

"They've done it, just maybe at different places. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football and been in those tough, crucial situations, so I feel like we're going to be able to handle that really well."

Ole Miss brought in the No. 1 transfer portal class this offseason, according to 247Sports, and it has certainly seemed to fill some holes on an already-talented roster entering this crucial season. Many are viewing this campaign as a "playoff-or-bust" scenario for the Rebels, now that the postseason field has expanded to include 12 teams.

The Rebels will begin their journey this season on Aug. 31 when they play host to the FCS Furman Paladins.