Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart Responds To Criticism From Anonymous SEC Coach

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart disagrees with any criticism of his arm strength.

The senior finished third in the SEC in passing last season after throwing for 3,364 yards with 23 touchdowns to five interceptions and adding eight scores on the ground. The former four-star helped lead the  Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history and elected to forgo the NFL and return for a final season in Oxford.

Dart took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night to respond to a tweet that featured a quote from an SEC coach. The anonymous staffer was asked by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg about Dart as an NFL prospect.

"I don't know that his arm is as big as some in the league," the coach said, according to Rittenberg.

Dart tweeted an emoji sporting a puzzled look and added a video clip from a camp this summer in which he threw a beautiful deep pass to the endzone from what seems to be around the 25-yard line.

Dart later deleted the post.

The tweet that Dart responded to did not include the full quote. The coach continued by essentially referring to Dart as a stat machine without NFL arm strength.

"He's got the good stats, but I don't know if he's got a big NFL arm or anything like that," an SEC coach told Rittenberg .

It's safe to say that Dart has benefited by having offensive guru Lane Kiffin in his corner. But that shouldn't take away from the level that the Kaysville, Utah native has already accomplished with a big year ahead.

It's worth a reminder that Dart threw for 379 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions while adding a rushing score against Penn State in the Peach Bowl. The Nittany Lions entered the game with the No. 2 defense in the country and ultimately allowed 514 yards of offense in a 38-25 loss.

NFL scouts will have plenty of opportunity to see Dart's live arm in action this season against top-tier defensive talent. And opposing coaches don't have a say.

The Rebels will take a trip to Death Valley to take on No. 13 LSU (Oct. 12) and host No. 16 Oklahoma (Oct. 26) and No. 1 Georgia (Nov. 9). Dart could be high on the Heisman Trophy list and NFL draft boards with good performances in that slate, which is pivotal for Ole Miss' chance at the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.

Dart and the Rebels will begin the 2024 season at home against Furman on Aug. 31. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET (SECN+).

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