Jaxson Dart had his moment, riding high after that Combine performance, finally getting some love alongside Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. But that spotlight phase faded quick. Turns out, it wasn’t another QB stealing his thunder. Nope, it’s his own wide receiver room.
Ole Miss is reloading, filling the gaps left by Dart’s NFL-bound targets. We’re talking fresh faces stepping in for Jordan Watkins, Tre Harris, and Juice Wells—the trio that made Dart look good last season. Now all eyes are on these new signees.
The spotlight shifts away from Lane Kiffin’s dark horse
Well, Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin considered Dart as his dark horse for a reason. Back in Ole Miss, he came up with 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns against 22 interceptions over three seasons. The QB did make the Rebels proud at the NFL Combine. He had put up a show going 18 of 23 and showing he is capable of making just about every pass. However, the fault might be in Dart’s stars. Even after being the hero of the Combine, he landed in the backseat as the WRs now get to savor all the attention. On the Locked on SEC podcast, analyst Steven Willis came up with a twist.
“Jaxson Dart tearing up the NFL combine and all that everybody would think the quarterback position would be everything that everybody is watching. But I think the wide receiver position is going to be the most interesting spring contest.” Well, Kiffin definitely had to give away a big part of his heart with Dart and the WR trio’s departure. However, at the same time, the newcomers won’t give the HC a moment to regret.
To start with Harris’ replacement, Oklahoma State transfer De’Zhaun Stribling. The analyst comes with a big thumbs up for the WR. He stated, “He’s had nearly a thousand yards receiving with an Alan Bowman quarterback offense at Oklahoma State, so he can play.” The 6’2″ 200-pounder holds a resume of 52 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns in one season. Now who’s next?
That’s Penn State transfer Trey Wallace. The WR had spent the last four seasons with James Franklin’s Penn State. Back there, he racked up 84 catches for 1,221 yards and six touchdowns. The same WR who totaled seven catches for 85 yards in the Nittany Lions’ three-game College Football Playoff run.
The next one in line is Alabama transfer Caleb Odom. According to analyst Willis, Odom “has all the potential in the world.” After all, as a true freshman in Tuscaloosa, he had caught seven passes for 65 yards in 2024. Not to forget the five-star WR commit Caleb Cunningham.
According to Steven Willis, the WR2 position will be witnessing a fight between Wallace, Odom, and Cunningham. This will leave fans at the edge of their seats. In that way, Kiffin’s program “could end up in a situation to where they can go from 11 personnel to 12 personnel to 13 personnel at Tempo, that is the ultimate goal of the offense.”
So these new Ole Miss receivers? They’re supposed to be a real showstopper trio. But if they can’t match what the last guys did, scouts are gonna start wondering about Jaxson Dart. Was it him or just the talent around him? While we’re waiting to see how that plays out, there’s always some juicy Dart news popping up.
The NFL’s changing view on Jaxson Dart
There is some good news for the Ole Miss QB. Dart may not have to wait long to hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Going by The Athletic writer Jeff Howe’s research, “two teams strongly believed” Dart would be selected within the “top half of the opening round.” During the Senior Bowl, Dart has solidified himself as a first-rounder. The Rebels’ QB had dropped back to pass eight times, completing two of four attempts for 41 yards in the Senior Bowl.
There was a time when simply trading back into the end of the first round for Dart was viewed as over drafting him. But look how the tables have turned. Now, he is likely to go in the first 16 selections. Going by NFL Network’s Charles Davis’ mock draft, the QB will be heading to the Big Apple at No. 3. He is seen to be serving as the hopeful franchise savior for the New York Giants. After all, the past has treated them well when they went all in for an Ole Miss QB.
You name them—Eli Manning, Charlie Conerly. Now that Jaxson Dart comes off as a three-year starter for the Rebels, it would be an upgrade over any signal-caller currently on the roster. Now come on, he has some USP—his skill in changing the speeds of his passes. And how could we forget his 58-mph missile throw at the Combine that showed his arm strength? While Ole Miss welcomes a fresh batch of wide receiver talent, Dart is about to make some noise in the pro league.
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