There’s a lot of things that factor into putting together an NFL scouting report on a draft prospect, and a lot of that comes down to what a quarterback shows on the field from a tangibles perspective.
But the intangibles are just as important, if not more important than that. And when it comes to mental processing ability, it begins to cross over. That’s something Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart noted when I asked him about what’s gone into his progression.
Particularly from a pure passing perspective, he noted mental health, something that has been made a priority within the Ole Miss program.
“I think that stuff, you can always improve on. I’m sure you guys have seen it, we’ve been very diligent in mental health,” he said. “I am able to meet with people and I haven’t really seen that in the past. That’s been able to bring my game up a lot from the mental side of it. It shows in the film too.”
A lot of it just comes down to settling down within the offense. The team has a lot of new faces and some coaching staff changes, something that adds to the curve that was already there.
Dart was also projected early on to become a Heisman Trophy candidate after very little in-game experience, something that some may view as a little unfair in regard to loft expectations for a quarterback still learning the ropes.
“I think a big part of it is it just being Year 2,” he said. “Fans and all that stuff, some people don’t really understand what it takes to get engulfed into a new offense… it just takes time and I kind of alluded to this previously about my confidence. The more reps I’ve gotten… the game just slows down.”
Indeed the game did slow down for Dart, who showed just how potent he could the through the air when given the right opportunities and also reminded people of just how dangerous he could be with his legs.
He finished out the 37-20 win over Tulane completing 17-of-27 passes for 267 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception to go with 41 rushing yards, not something that necessarily reflects the way he gave the Green Wave some issues with his wheels.
Head Coach Lane Kiffin seemed satisfied with the way Dart played, while there are still areas to work on. And in the nature of playing quarterbacks and coaching them, there always are.
Kiffin praised Dart for not “perfect” play but play that was tough and physical despite him “trying too hard” at some points.
“He’s done a great job, had really good offseason,” Kiffin said. “I wouldn’t have guessed the numbers were going to look like they did today, but it happens. It’s football. Tulane is a really good team and made some plays and he lost (Tre Harris) early and we just kind of miscommunicated on some things and kind of stumbled out of a break on a pick but he made a great play on the touchdown to (Michael) Trigg.”
Ranked by some as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation ahead of the 2023 season, Dart has shown some bright spots and is growing incredibly fast off of the foundation he set to potentially live up to that.
As the schedule gets tougher, starting with an upcoming matchup against the LSU Tigers, he’ll have plenty of chances to prove just how much he truly brings to the table at the highest stage college football has to offer.
