Rebels Prove To Have QB Options Following Grove Bowl

Spencer Sanders, Jaxson Dart and Walker Howard all made sure to earn respect from the Ole Miss locker room in the Grove Bowl.

It's a simple answer to Lane Kiffin, even if the public is still waiting for it to be finalized. 

Does Ole Miss have the right quarterback for the 2023 season? Yes. 

In fact, the Rebels might have several at their disposal to keep them very much in the running well past the upcoming year following the Grove Bowl. 

"I thought all three guys made plays, made out-of-rhythm, competitive plays. I thought early there were some really good in-rhythm timing plays, especially some passes to the backs," Kiffin said postgame. "Then they made some as it went along. You could see the heat, the tempo wear down the defense, and guys make a lot of plays when the defensive rush was tired." 

Kiffin, nicknamed the transfer portal king for his efforts to bring in veteran talent, might be onto something when it comes to adding proven vets. Or maybe the young guns for the future. Either way, both found their way into the Rebels' quarterback battle.

Jaxson Dart was fine in Year 1 as the replacement for Matt Corral. Fine doesn't win national titles, but it doesn't lead to a player losing his job. Dart finished the season with just under 3,000 passing yards and 20 TDs, but also tossed 11 interceptions and lost five of the team's final six games, including the Texas Bowl against Texas Tech. 

Kiffin isn't looking for fine. Not at quarterback, at least. The fourth-year Rebels coach is always concocting ways to add great players to a roster. And if competition becomes part of the process, consider it a plus for the position's upside. 

"It's not just competition why you bring people in, it's to make your roster better," Kiffin said. "I think it gets forgotten sometimes with the kids or their parents, that they all don't understand. 'Well, does it mean you don't have confidence in our kid?' No, it doesn't, it means we wanna win games, and we wanna have really deep rosters so that when things happen, other guys are ready to play."

Dart showed enough promise to keep the starting job moving forward. Of course, fifth-year senior Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and redshirt freshman Walker Howard (LSU) won't be going down without a fight. 

Sanders, who started 42 games for the Cowboys since 2019, has the experience to win the starting job. Howard, who could wait a year to take over as the long-term option, has the upside with a plethora of skills that should transition to any offensive look in Kiffin's personnel. 

“Competition is always good,” Dart said. “For me, I’m trying to develop into a first-round draft pick. I just try to keep getting better each and every day. It’s good to have guys like that to push you. Spencer has got a lot of experience, and me and Walker are kind of the younger ones. So, it’s good at times for us to take some advice from him.”

It's hard to read which passer took strides ahead in the room. Combined, the trio threw seven touchdowns, rushed for two more and virtually exposed the gaping holes in Pete Golding's defense. 

Dart completed 18-of-37 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown. Sanders threw for 265 yards, rushed for another 72, and scored four TDs. Howard found the end zone four times — three through the air — and went 11-of-13 passing for 183 yards. 

"I thought I made huge improvements," Dart said. "I only turned the ball over once all spring... I feel like I've made big strides and I look forward to continuing to develop."

Sanders, perhaps the biggest winner of Saturday's festivities, said that "iron sharpens iron," and in a competitive quarterback battle, everyone should benefit. 

"Competing with these guys and going head to head with them every day only makes me better, and watching them do things out there, I learn from them," said Sanders. "I’ve been in this game for a minute, but there’s always room to learn.”

Kiffin eventually will have to choose which passer provides Ole Miss its best chance to win an SEC title, but he'll have all summer to decide. And maybe that's a good thing. 

Last season, the Rebels' baseball team won their first national title largely due to the rotation. Kiffin sees a bit of the mound magic now flooding his quarterback room. 

"It’s like having a lot of good pitchers on a baseball team,” Kiffin said of the QB battle. “You like having more than one. It’s really good that we’ve got all three guys who did good things today. The idea in the offseason was to improve that room, make it competitive, and bring guys in. So, it’s not really competitive for that No. 1 spot. It just makes it a competitive room.”

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