Trio Of Rebels Give Back To Oxford With 'The Sip' Youth Football Camp
Jaxson Dart remembers growing up in the heart of Utah, waking up early Saturday morning to turn on college football until the late hours of the night. Encapsulated by the ambiance of the sport, Dart dreamed of one day commanding the huddle in an offense at the college level following his pop-warner days.
A decade plus and years of honing his craft, Dart's dream is a reality. He's set to compete for the starting quarterback job at Ole Miss in 2023, one year removed from winning the position as a sophomore under Lane Kiffin. A promising campaign or two, and perhaps Dart's dream will expand to the NFL level.
Dart's humble, rarely forgetting his roots or pathway to the SEC. He also is a man of people, wanting to give back to kids who share his passion for calling plays and running drills in the hot July Mississippi sun.
It's why being a part of the "The Sip" youth football camp wasn't a chore, but rather a requirement for him to take part in.
"This stuff is huge for the community and getting engaged with everyone," Dart told reporters Saturday morning following camp. "Being athletes, it's hard with our time and sometimes not being able to get out as much to be able to meet those outside of our facilities at times.
"It's just for us to do the same for them and give back."
Dart was joined by tight end Michael Trigg and All-SEC freshman Quinshon Judkins to partake in drills with the local community at Oxford Middle School. Kids ranging from ages 6-18 spent hours running routes, making throws, and building on their craft for their upcoming seasons this fall. The trio also signed memorabilia for the campers and stopped to take photos with all who attended the event.
The Rebels are Oxford's team. No professional sports teams call the city or any city in the Magnolia State home. Football-wise, kids grow up either screaming Hotty Toddy or Hail State, thus adding more flames to the fire between the rivals who meet on Thanksgiving.
Being one with the fans has always been a priority for Dart, so when Next Gen Camps reached out to him, Judkins and Trigg for the chance to host an event, they jumped at the opportunity. One important thing to the trio was to host the camp together rather than break up the festivities into three individual events.
Entering SEC Media Days next week, attention is on Oxford and Lane Kiffn's squad. The Rebels have a roster good enough to compete for the SEC West division title. Some would argue that a conference title isn't out of reach thanks to the "Portal King's" efforts in the transfer portal.
Of course, scheduling will decide how far Ole Miss goes this fall. The Rebels travel to New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, and Athens to face Tulane, Alabama and Georgia, respectively. All three programs finished in the AP Poll's top 10, with the Bulldogs on top as back-to-back national champs.
The Rebels also have games against Texas A&M, Arkansas and Auburn, all of which could be toss-up matchups for various reasons. The Hogs are 2-1 under Sam Pittman since Kiffin was hired in 2020. Auburn's 1-2 against Kiffin while Jimbo Fisher is still looking for his first victory over the fellow former Nick Saban offensive coordinator.
Trigg and Judkins headline an offense that averaged 33.5 points per game last fall, but they won't be alone in elevating the production. The Rebels added All-Conference USA receiver Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) and Zakhari Franklin (UTSA) from the portal, as well as Memphis tight end Caden Prieskorn. Former No. 3 tailback Ulysses Bentley IV should see an uptick in production following Zach Evans' departure to the pros.
Dart isn't guaranteed to Week 1. The USC transfer was adequate in his first season, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 20 TDs, but inconsistencies plagued Ole Miss from repeating its 2021 success. Kiffin made sure to give himself multiple options following Luke Altmyer's transfer, bringing in former Oklahoma State starter Spencer Sanders and LSU's Walker Howard.
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