Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart Skyrockets in QB Power Rankings After Win Over Georgia

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart found himself on the mountaintop of one analyst's quarterback power rankings this week.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels earned a massive win last weekend, taking down the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in a game that returned the Rebels to the College Football Playoff conversation.

Knocking off a team of Georgia's pedigree was enough to move Ole Miss to No. 11 in this week's CFP rankings, a spot that would have the Rebels in the postseason field if the campaign ended today. Still, the win over Georgia was big for other reasons too, especially for head coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart is gaining some particularly interesting headlines this week. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports recently released his college football quarterback power rankings, and the win over Georgia was enough to give Dart the top spot on the list.

Fornelli admits that this ranking may not last, but he had to give a nod to Dart after pulling off the upset.

"I can't promise he'll be here again next week because the overall performance on the season hasn't justified it," Fornelli wrote, "but he deserves it for now. I've long been a skeptic about Ole Miss' candidacy as a playoff team because it so often failed against playoff-caliber competition. Now it's proven it can beat a top program, and Dart's a big reason why."

With a record of 26-9, Dart is the winningest quarterback in modern Ole Miss history, dating back to Archie Manning's first start in 1968. He has thrown for 3,409 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, and his total offense mark of 371.3 yards per game leads the FBS.

Against Georgia, Dart was injured on the second play from scrimmage and threw an interception on the third, marking an unceremonious start to such an important matchup for the Rebels. Still, after heading to the locker room for evaluation, Dart emerged and returned to the game, helping pilot Ole Miss to one of the biggest wins in school history.

"I never thought I was going out," Dart said postgame. "There has to be something severely wrong for me to come out of the game."

Even so, this week provides a resting opportunity for Dart and the rest of the Rebels as they have an open date. Ole Miss will next take the field on the road against Florida on Nov. 23 before concluding the regular season by hosting Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl on Black Friday.