Rebel Players Reveal Why They Believe Ole Miss Football Is 'On The Rise' As A Program

The Ole Miss Rebels may not have reached the College Football Playoff this season, but that hasn't stopped them from establishing some solid momentum as a program.

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) signals a first down during the second quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels fell short of their ultimate goal of reaching the College Football Playoff this season, but that doesn't mean the program has lost all of its momentum. In fact, the players believe the exact opposite.

Ole Miss still accomplished a strong feat with its 2024 campaign: winning 10 games for the second consecutive year, a mark that had not been achieved since 1959-60. It appears that the Rebels are knocking on the door of reaching the CFP, and a couple of departing veteran players believe the program will continue to strengthen in the years ahead.

Both quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Jordan Watkins shared their thoughts on the subject following the Rebels' win in the Gator Bowl over Duke.

"This program's on the rise," Dart said. "They're going to continue to get better, and I think it's just a place where people really want to play. A lot of excitement and momentum going for it, and like I said, I think it's going to continue to improve and continue to be one of the best programs in the country."

"I think Coach [Lane] Kiffin is a hell of a coach, and I think he does everything in his power to make Ole Miss a good football program," Watkins added. "He has. He's done that, and I think over the years to come, guys are going to want to come here.

"Ten wins in the last two seasons, that draws guys' attentions. He's a great coach, and he has a way with players, so I think Ole Miss will be on the rise for many, many years."

Of course, Dart and Watkins won't be in Oxford to see if their prophecy is fulfilled, but they have both been around Kiffin and the Rebels program for quite a while to develop a strong enough opinion about them. Both players transferred to Ole Miss prior to the 2022 season, and they have established a chemistry both on and off the football field that should be a testament to the direction the program as a whole is heading.

Much of whether or not these predictions come to pass will be based on how quickly the heirs to the program find success. Dart is expected to be relieved by Austin Simmons at the quarterback position, and Watkins is one of multiple wide receivers who hope to continue their careers in the NFL beginning next fall.

It's not just the players who think this, though. Kiffin himself shared his thoughts following the Gator Bowl as well.

"Probably wouldn't have been so confident if we hadn't done some of this before," Kiffin said. "I feel like when [quarterback] Matt Corral left, a lot of people thought we were going to have this downswing, and that was just kind of a Matt Corral thing.

"Our team this year was a better team [than in 2023]. We lost three one-score games. ... The team before went 4-0 in one-score games. We were actually a better team, as you look at 10 double-digit wins. That doesn't happen very often. My point is that we can keep getting better, just continuing to add players, add pieces and keeping our staff together too."

Ole Miss' current goal is continuing to hit the transfer portal hard in preparation for next season, a campaign that will begin on Aug. 30 at home against Georgia State.