DALLAS ― Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin is not green, nor is he 26 inches tall. He does not speak in backward riddles and he does not wield a lightsaber.
That did not stop his quarterback, Jaxson Dart, from comparing Kiffin to Yoda, the wise old Jedi Knight from the Star Wars franchise.
Fortunately for Kiffin, Dart's goal was not to highlight any similarities in appearance. Instead, he believes the two share similar minds.
"I just think it's somebody who has a ton of wisdom and knowledge," Dart said, explaining the comparison at SEC Media Days on Monday. "A lot of people forget, he was the youngest coach to coach in the NFL back in his day, so he's coached at the highest level.
"He's had times in life where he's had to face and overcome adversity and he's done that and he's put himself in a great situation where he is today. So I think any time you're around somebody who has all that wisdom and knowledge, you're constantly learning from him. He's just somebody that I can constantly go to when I need something that's football related or not football related."
Dart is a big-time Star Wars fan. He applies eye black down the right side of his face on game days that is meant to replicate Anakin Skywalker's scar.
Kiffin? Not so much.
"No. I don't even know what Lane is," Dart said laughing. "I don't know what he's into."
Now entering his third season as the Rebels' starting quarterback, Dart said his relationship with his coach is evolving into something different.
Kiffin has always provided Dart with football mentorship. But at this stage, Dart considers Kiffin a friend.
"Whether it's me just coming in through his garage door and taking a few of his waters when I'm down at the country club or whatever it may be sitting out by his pool, we've had some really good conversations," Dart said at the Manning Passing Academy last month.
"I've learned a lot about him and he's learned a lot about me. We definitely have a really strong relationship and I'm very thankful for it."
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It's one that is "light years" different than the relationship they shared when Dart first arrived at Ole Miss from USC ahead of the 2022 season, he said.
For the first time, Dart spent this offseason as Kiffin's undisputed guy at the quarterback position, having competed through preseason practice for the job in 2022 and 2023.
The Rebels will rely on several key transfer pieces as they look to crack the 12-team College Football Playoff. Their assimilation into Ole Miss' system and culture will be key, and Kiffin is relying on Dart, now established, to help lead it.
"In honor of this (video) game coming out that everybody is so excited (about) ... makes me think if they had a rating of leadership of a quarterback, he would be a 99, because he invests into the players so much," Kiffin said.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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