Are Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris Poised For a Breakout Season at Ole Miss?

The quarterback and receiver duo combined for four scores on Saturday afternoon.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Saturday was a big day for Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris.

The Ole Miss Rebels steamrolled to a 73-7 win over the Mercer Bears in the team's season opener at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and from the first series, it was evident that the game belonged to this quarterback and wide receiver combo.

Dart found Harris for a score just three plays into the game, and they connected for three more on the day, good to give the wide receiver the new school record for receiving touchdowns in a game. Oh, and he reached that mark in the second quarter after tying the record in the first.

Even if Lane Kiffin doesn't say it publicly, it's evident that, as of now, Jaxson Dart is the quarterback of this team. So what led to Saturday's superb connection? The duo discussed that aspect in postgame media availabilities. 

"We spend a lot of extra time together," Dart said. "He came out to California with me to work with my quarterback coaches and just extra work around the facilities here. He's my hotel roommate, and he's never played for an SEC school. He was asking what to expect, and we kind of manifested it. We felt like we were going to have a great game together, and we knew he was going to get a lot of touches, and he made the most of it."

Harris' debut in an Ole Miss uniform definitely lived up to--and surpassed--the hype, but the quickness to which Ole Miss secured a 21-7 lead in the first quarter on this duo's back even took them by surprise.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Harris said. "I looked at the scoreboard and realized it was 21-7, and I was like 'Dang, that happened quick.' My mindset going into the game was 'dominate.' That was the whole team's mindset. We didn't care who we were playing, and that's what we came out and did."

Harris obviously drew the headlines, and rightfully so. But it's also worth noting that in the midst of a quarterback competition, Jaxson Dart's head has stayed above water. Not only that, he's improved, and he felt more comfortable in a game setting today than he did at the end of last season.

"I think you could say that," Dart said. "I felt like I was really prepared coming into this week. I'm in a good place mentally, and I feel like as a team, we're in a really good spot as well. Just really looking forward to the future."

Much of Dart's progression hasn't just been on the field. Sure, his passes look better, and he appears more poised in the pocket and comfortable in the offense, but part of his improvement has come in the leadership role with the Rebels.

Even when Ole Miss did not have a Week 0 game, Dart called the wide receivers in to scout for their upcoming game against Mercer, an FCS opponent that, on paper, the Rebels shouldn't have a ton of concern about.

"He played great," Harris said. "It started off from last week. He's telling me and the rest of the receivers to come in, and we're watching film and the game itself. He had us prepared. He made sure we'd be out there and be comfortable."

Will Dart and Harris transform into one of the many dangerous facets of this offense in 2023? It's just one game against Mercer, but if Saturday is any indication, they have good chemistry already, and that's a good sign for Rebel fans.