Jaxson Dart, the dynamic quarterback from Ole Miss, is ready to take center stage in Las Vegas as one of the 16 national finalists for the coveted William v. Campbell trophy. Or you can call it the “Academic Heisman” as well. While this award highlights abilities on and off the field, Dart’s name being on that list showcases his versatility as a standout player on the field while balancing his classroom work at the same time. This guy is just so generous; he credits his journey to his best friend, without whom he could not have achieved it. As this guy bids farewell to his college career, head coach Lane Kiffin will always be his biggest inspiration.

Dart is standing among the college football elites like Dillon Gabriel, Jalen Milroe, and Jake Majors in the race for the William v. Campbell trophy. He recently appeared before the media to talk about this milestone and highlighted a strong bond that he shares with his head coach, Lane Kiffin.

“Yeah, he’s meant so much, you know, from the coach that I committed to out of the transfer portal after my freshman year, and really just believing in his plan and his vision for me, from the start to his whole development process to where we are now, I think just really buying in, and our relationship has been through a lot from the moment I got there to now. And I can really say that not only is he my head coach, but he’s also one of my best friends. Whether it’s spending time in the field room or we’re playing pickleball against each other, our relationship has been super strong. And he’s been someone I’ve really looked up to and has really been a big influence in my college experience.”

Close to three years ago, Kiffin recruited Dart to play the quarterback role for his program for the foreseeable future. And no one can say that the journey has been without its ups and downs, but Dart and his loyalty to the program stood out from day one. In fact, in a postgame media interaction after a victory over Mississippi State, the 49-year-old reflected on what the quarterback has meant to the Rebels. He said, “The quarterback, you know, he’s just — he’s awesome. There’s a way you want your son to be, that’s what you want to have.” That’s some confidence a head coach has in his recruit!

Moving on, this was not the first time Jaxson Dart has shared his unique bond with the Ole Miss head coach. A few days ago, after the Rebels secured a 26-14 win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl game, he shared the same emotion. Transferring from USC was a major shift for Dart, but Kiffin helped him under his leadership and gave him the central figure for Ole Miss. And now, he is close to graduating from a program that taught him so much. Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart is all set to cap Ole Miss’s career in the Gator Bowl as well.

Jaxson Dart will play one last game

If you’re not aware, Dart is Ole Miss’s all-time leader in passing yards, total offense, and wins, and he is ready to roll one last time in the Gator Bowl on January 2. He revealed it on Monday, confirming his status to lead the Miss Rebels against Duke, aiming for their third 10-win season in the last four years. After coming to Ole Miss, Jaxson Dart has recorded 10,213 career passing yards, surpassing Eli Manning, and over 11,500 total yards, moving ahead of Bo Wallace’s record.

This dude has been incredible this season; he led the nation in total offense at 360.6 yards per game while being naked as the fourth in passing yards with 3,875 and came second in passing efficiency. His mark of 25 touchdown passes is ranked third in the SEC, and at the same time, he’s holding the second-best single-season total rising yards record with 452 yards.

Under Jaxson Dart’s leadership, Ole Miss is thriving in a successful season. He drew Ole Miss to preseason favorite status for the 12-team playoff and capped last season with a 379-yard, four-touchdown mark in the Peach Bowl win over Penn State. As of now, the Gator Bowl is going to be the ultimate chapter of Dart’s collegiate career.