Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart Ranked Among Top 5 College QBs Entering 2024 Season

The Ole Miss Rebels have a veteran signal caller under center in Jaxson Dart, and he is looking to make a big difference for his team in 2024.

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (2) throws against Mississippi State during the first half of the Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ole Miss Rebels were able to retain a lot of talent from their successful 2023 campaign, but no returner is as big from a football perspective as quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart is entering his third year at Ole Miss (after transferring from the USC Trojans), and he took a massive leap last season in his overall production and in taking care of the football. His growth under head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. recently earned him a spot inside the top five of one analyst's list of the best college quarterbacks in America.

The Rebel gunslinger came in at No. 2 on Brad Crawford's list at 247Sports, ranking only behind Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. You can read an excerpt from the piece below.

"Another season in Lane Kiffin's scheme worked out beautifully for Jaxson Dart, who stiff-armed early questions about the Rebels' future at the position with a banner campaign as a junior. ... His return in 2024, along with substantial personnel retention and transfer portal adds, makes Ole Miss a legitimate playoff contender in the SEC." -- Brad Crawford, 247Sports

The "early questions" referenced here by Crawford likely refer to the two position battles that Dart has won in his time at Ole Miss. Beginning with his first year in Oxford, Dart battled with quarterback Luke Altmyer for the starting spot under center, eventually winning out in the early portions of the season. Last year, Dart's battle didn't go into the fall, but he did have to ward off transfer Spencer Sanders in order to keep his starting position.

Dart threw for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns alongside just five interceptions last season, and he successfully operated another strong year for a Kiffin-led offense. With another season under his belt (and the advent of in-helmet communication between quarterbacks and coaches), it's feasible that Dart could take another step forward in 2024 inwhat will be his final college season before testing the waters of the NFL Draft.

What's notable about Dart's spot on this list is that he ranks above fellow SEC signal callers like Carson Beck (Georgia), Jalen Milroe (Alabama) and Quinn Ewers (Texas). Those three names rounded out the rest of the top five, but it's obvious that Dart's progress combined with Kiffin and Weis' offensive expertise has garnered some national attention as he enters his senior year.

Dart and the Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.