Quarterback Jaxson Dart Reveals Biggest Part of Ole Miss' Transfer Portal Strategy

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart was made available to the media at SEC Media Days on Monday.

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart takes questions from the media at SEC Media Days on July 15, 2024. / Southeastern Conference

DALLAS -- Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has been dubbed "The Portal King" for his usage of the transfer market in Oxford since it opened, but challenges come with this form of recruiting.

Bringing in players that "fit" into a given locker room and culture is just as important as landing some of the top talent the portal has to offer. Last season, Ole Miss was able to do both, and it won 11 games as a result. This year, the games have yet to be played, but quarterback Jaxson Dart thinks things are heading in the right direction.

Dart discussed some of his involvement in portal recruiting at SEC Media Days on Monday at the Omni Hotel in Dallas.

"I feel like I was really involved in recruiting," Dart said. "Almost felt like I was part of the recruiting department this offseason, just helping bringing in guys. But I thought our coaches did a tremendous job making sure that everybody fit the mold of our program and our culture."

"I feel like the transfer portal recruiting is a lot easier than high school recruiting because they want to understand the more business side of things and also understand, like, what's my role going to be and how am I going to be used and how are you guys going to use me in this way and this way."

As a former transfer himself, Dart understands what it's like to navigate the portal and eventually find a program to call home. Since he arrived at Ole Miss in 2022, he has taken steps to becoming a true leader on the roster, but he can also remember his high school recruiting days before he originally signed with the USC Trojans.

That's how Dart can draw the comparison between the two worlds. Of course, it helps that he played a large role in landing some key talent for Ole Miss out of the portal this offseason, too.

The Rebels defense looks to have taken a step forward on paper, and Dart himself has some new weapons at his disposal like wide receiver Juice Wells from South Carolina. Still, he thinks the biggest part of these additions is that they fit into the Ole Miss culture and locker room, and that will go a long way towards a successful 2024 campaign.

"I thought the biggest thing they did was choose the right guys and choose the right people to be part of this program which made their transition a lot easier," Dart said, "and then just from the players' standpoint, of us embracing them and trying to get them to buy in as quickly as possible."