Rebels' Lane Kiffin Named Coach to Watch, Jaxson Dart Heisman Hopeful?

ESPN believes college football fans will need to keep their eyes on Ole Miss Rebels Lane Kiffin and Jaxson Dart in 2024.

Nov 4, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) and head coach Lane Kiffin (right) talk during warm ups prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

OXFORD, Miss. – We are officially 86 days from the start of the 2024 college football season, and the hype train surrounding the Ole Miss Rebels gets bigger as the days pass. After winning 11 games for the first time in program history in 2023 and following that up with the No. 3 transfer portal class, there are plenty of storylines to follow this offseason regarding the Rebels.

ESPN recently revealed its Top 10 games, coaches, players, contenders, etc., entering the 2024 season, and Ole Miss can be found in two areas: coaches to watch and Heisman hopefuls.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was named the No. 6 coach to watch this season, while his senior quarterback, Jaxson Dart, was named a Top 10 Heisman Trophy contender.

“The Lane Train is never boring, but he recently has added more substance to the entertainment factor,” ESPN writes of Kiffin. “After two AP top-12 finishes in the past three seasons, Ole Miss made a significant push in the portal/NIL space and should deliver a team capable of earning the school's first CFP berth.”

Kiffin has brought Ole Miss to heights never seen before as a football program, and his mastery of the portal and NIL has the Rebels set to be competitive in this new era of college football for many years to come.

“Remember one year ago when there were doubts [Dart would] even be the starter?” ESPN asks. “The guy with the Anakin Skywalker eye black went full Jedi Temple attack with 3,364 yards passing and 31 total TDs versus only five INTs, then decided to come back for more.”

If Dart's 2023 season is comparable to Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side, then his 2024 campaign should earn him the moniker of "Dart Vader."

Kiffin has surrounded Dart with all the weapons he could ever dream of while significantly improving his offensive line via the portal this offseason. Armed with the No. 2 receiving corps in the nation, Dart is ready to make his third year under Kiffin count.