'The Last One!' Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart To Play In Gator Bowl

Jaxson Dart will wear his Ole Miss Rebels jersey one final time in the Gator Bowl.

Nov 29, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) reacts after the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart isn't ready to say goodbye to Ole Miss just yet.

He won't have to until after a trip to Jacksonville. Fla., with a shot to secure a second 10-win season for the No. 14 Rebels over Duke.

Jaxson Dart posted this on Instagram. Looks like he’s suiting up for the Rebels one last time. pic.twitter.com/irhuIwWX8j

— Michael Katz (@MichaelLKatz) December 9, 2024

Dart announced that he would be playing in his 'last one' his Monday afternoon via his Instagram as Rebels will close their 2024 campaign in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Blue Devils on Jan. 2. Dart, who recently became Ole Miss' all-time leading passer (10,213), surpassing Eli Manning, will have an opportunity to boost his draft stock before the NFL combine.

The third-year starter is one of four current senior opt-ins for the Gator Bowl, including wide receiver Jordan Watkins, cornerback Trey Amos and safety Trey Washington.

As perhaps the face of Rebel football under the Lane Kiffin regime, Dart set records in 2024, posting a career-high in completion percentage (68.6%), passing yards (3,875), passing touchdowns (25) touchdowns and six interceptions. His 177.7 passer rating ranks second among FBS quarterbacks, trailing only Indiana's Kurti Rouke.

Nov 29, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) looks to pass while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Branden Jennings (44) during the first quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

"Complete team player, doesn't care about stats, anything. He could care less that he threw for 143 yards today," Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said following Ole Miss' 26-14 victory in the Egg Bowl over Mississippi State. "You saw the way he ran, his emotion at the end of the game. I tried to help him keep it together because he cares about this team, he cares about this University and that doesn't happen a lot in college football anymore if you look around."

The Blue Devils (9-3) will also be looking for a 10-win season, a first for the ACC program since 2013 under former Rebels coach David Cutcliffe. Dart, a projected mid-round quarterback prospect, could finish his college career with a 28-10 (.736) record as a starter.

With 27 victories, Dart already has the most wins and best winning percentage by an Ole Miss starting quarterback of the modern era since Archie Manning’s first start in the 1960s. One more would just solidify what many Rebels fans already know.

​​Kickoff from EverBank Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. Ct. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN, and the Rebels have opened as a heavy favorite over the Blue Devils.