Ole Miss football watched Jaxson Dart shred Duke for 404 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Gator Bowl. Dart entered the contest against Duke Thursday facing skepticism about his NFL prospects.
Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are fueling the first round hype. But there's no mention of Dart projected to fall somewhere on day one of the draft. However, one NFL scout handed Dart a surprising “steal” label, per Fox NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“He’s gonna be a major steal in the draft,” Schultz shared on X from his conversation with a “longtime” league scout.
What qualifies Dart as a potential sleeper ahead of April?
“Throws the ball down the field as well as anyone, which I realize is kinda this lost skill in today’s game, but that’s what makes him so interesting,” Schultz shared from the scout.
Lastly, the unnamed scout told Schultz: “Get Dart a couple speed guys and he can really hurt you.”
Could Ole Miss still welcome back Jaxson Dart?
![Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) warms up before the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jaxson-Dart-warming-up.jpg)
He's soon leaving Oxford delivering three straight seasons of 20 touchdowns or more. That includes the 25 he tossed this season. Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin now look set on figuring out the next QB for 2025…
Or is Dart eligible to come back? Kiffin jokingly told ESPN what could happen.
“You never know, maybe he’ll file a waiver and come back another year,” Kiffin got heard saying with ESPN's Taylor McGregor.
Kyle McCord of Syracuse is one QB linked as one other waiver possibility. He's in a similar situation to Dart as a QB who completed four playing seasons.
But there are analysts who believe Dart deserves more NFL attention. Emmanuel Acho of Fox Sports 1 is one believer in Dart.
“How is Jaxson Dart not being talked about like a top 10 overall pick? Ole Miss fans, what am I missing?” Acho asked on X. “We only talk about Shedeur and Cam Ward, but this Dart kid is out here SLINGING IT!!”
Dart guides Ole Miss to back-to-back double-digit winning seasons — a first for the Rebels since the 1959 and 1960 season. He also leaves Oxford delivering eight games of throwing 300 yards or more in 2024. His Gator Bowl performance should be enough to win over some NFL teams seeking a QB outside of Sanders and Ward.