Owen PustellThis article marks the second installation of a new series highlighting the changing of the guard in Rebel football. I will be taking to the film in order to watch, breakdown and evaluate notable Ole Miss athletes who have either declared for the draft or are transferring into the program.
Stat Breakdown
Listed H/W/P: 6’3”, 215 lbs, QB
Future Pro Comparison: Matt Corral
In a Nutshell: Jaxson Dart has flexed a powerful throwing arm which allows him to get the ball from A to B with little hesitation. Dart has shown the ability to throw with pinpoint accuracy and hit receivers in stride, at shoulder height. While he has demonstrated the ability to make every throw in the book, Dart will need to grow into his own talent and adjust to the speed of college football.
Strengths
For those who are new to the world of football scouting, a “cannon” is an industry term for a quarterback who can throw absolute rockets. Jaxson Dart has a cannon. He throws the ball with authority and intent.
Against Washington State, he showcased his ability to throw balls fast, far and accurately. One particular play with 11:55 left in the second quarter stands out. Dart was on the right hash throwing a 10-yard curl to the boundary side of the field. Dart was in the shotgun and took a two-step drop before hitting his receiver on the timing route. From its release to catch, the ball probably changed altitude by a foot, if that. Dart’s throw went in a nearly perfect straight line, minimizing the time the ball spent in the air.
This is beneficial for a few reasons. First and foremost, it gives the defense as little time as possible to react to the pass and make a play on the ball. This means that receivers need to gain less separation for Dart to have a legitimate target, essentially making their job easier. Secondly, it means that the receiver does not have to fight back to the ball.
Usually, on curl or comeback routes, the receiver will have to fight back towards the QB in order to box out the DB and keep the throwing window open. This minimizes the yardage gained and lowers the probability of a completion. The throw was especially important given the situation, as it was third and ten with Dart throwing from about six yards deep in the end zone. However, what makes Dart a truly elite prospect is that he can not only throw with power and drive in the short game, but can also throw finesse routes downfield. Granted, being able to target Drake London makes this task a little easier, but Dart is able to make 50/50 balls turn into 70/30 balls. He does this by reading the defensive back’s body language when they are in coverage downfield and throwing the receiver away from their momentum. If the DB is over the receiver and has their hips and eyes turned upfield, Dart will throw the receiver a back shoulder pass, which is the furthest point from the defensive back and close to the receiver (this is also how you draw pass interference). If the cornerback is trailing, Dart will put air under the ball and throw the receiver a traditional deep pass, once again having the ball land so that the receiver’s body is between it and the defender.
While Dart certainly tries to make plays through the air first, I would not discount his ability to run at all. Similar to Matt Corral, Dart is an opportunistic scrambler whose spread offense opens up running lanes as plays develop, or on QB draws.
Dart and Corral are nearly identical on the ground, with both of them having the ability to avoid tacklers despite not having elite agility or physicality. Dart also runs with the same reckless abandon which had Ole Miss fans simultaneously cheering and cringing as Corral lowered his shoulder into safeties and linebackers with no regard for his long term health.
While there is no guarantee that Kiffin will give Dart the same rushing liberties as Corral, do not fear that the dimension has been lost from the Rebel offense. In general, Dart has the moxie and swagger of a superstar. He will fit into the Ole Miss culture perfectly both on and off the field. I would also expect him to be a strong locker room presence. It is telling that Michael Trigg was willing to follow him nearly anywhere in the transfer portal.
Dart also plays with his head on fire. He does not slide, and when he throws an interception he lays out like a safety to make a tackle. Although one of the most popular and greatest quarterbacks just finished his time in Oxford, Jaxson Dart is the perfect replacement candidate.
Weaknesses
Although Dart has the potential to be a dominant quarterback, he is not there yet. Most importantly, Dart needs to learn to control himself. His playmaking ability is clearly there, he has shown that he can break sacks, throw on the run, hit deep balls and perform just about any other tasks asked of him. However, he needs to know his limit.
Dart can sometimes get over excited at the prospect of a big play and force throws downfield or try to do too much. If we turn to the Washington State game once again, we can see a prime example of this. With 4:11 left in the third quarter, Washington State brought a five-man pressure which confused the offensive line and wound up sending a free blitzer. Dart evaded the rusher, stepped up and rolled out to his right keeping his eyes downfield before diving and throwing a Patrick Mahomes-esque pass nearly 50 yards downfield, where a defender undercut it and picked it off.
These are the moments where you cut your losses and chuck the ball into the second deck. Importantly, Dart is young. This is not a problem unique to him and is certainly fixable. Dart can also let the rare throw get away from him. There are times, usually when hitting a 10-20 yard out breaking route, where Dart will misfire completely and ground the ball five yards off target. Once again, this is something that will likely come with development as he works on completing his full throwing motion and footwork on every snap.
Takeaways
As previously mentioned, Dart is the perfect successor to Matt Corral. They have similar play styles and attitudes, and both boast incredibly high ceilings as future projections. Lane Kiffin hit the nail on the head with this one. With the right supporting cast, Dart has the talent and potential to be a day one draft pick and an Ole Miss great. However, it is crucial that the rest of the offense meets him halfway.
Of course, it is great to dominate the transfer portal like Lane Kiffin has, but at the end of the day it is more important to bring in steady recruiting classes. In the last three recruiting cycles, Ole Miss has brought in just two 4-star receivers who have combined for no catches in their four total years of experience. Competing in the SEC as a non-traditional powerhouse is not only difficult, but crucial to build off your own success on the recruiting trail. This year, Ole Miss finished third in the SEC, yet pulled just the 10th best recruiting class in the conference. The incoming transfers will make Ole Miss a tough matchup again next year, but most of these players will stay for one year, maybe two. Ole Miss has just secured their second straight elite talent at quarterback and is in the national spotlight as a fun program to be around. This is a golden opportunity for the program to capitalize and gain real, long term momentum.
