The preseason hype continues to elevate for the Ole Miss football team and most notably Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart.
After being added to the prestigious Maxwell Award watch list just over a week ago, the senior out of Kaysville, Utah is also on the radar to be considered for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award this coming season.
Dart, a semifinalist for the award during the 2023-24 campaign, had a strong junior year under the guidance of head coach and “quarterback guru” Lane Kiffin. Last season, Dart played an integral role in leading Ole Miss to the program’s first 11-win campaign. In the process, he accounted for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five picks while completing 65.1% of his passes.
Dart also found a place among the top quarterbacks in college football ranking in the top 20 nationally in the following categories:
- No. 8 in yards per attempt — 9.4-yard average
- No 10. in yards per completion — 14.4-yard average
- No. 16 in total offense — 288.7 yards per game
- No. 20 in total passing yards — 3,364
Other players with Magnolia State ties featured in the preseason watch list are former Mississippi State quarterback turned Washington Husky Will Rogers as well as Sardis native and Central Florida signal-caller KJ Jefferson.
The Davey O’Brien Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935.
A midseason watch list for the award will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and will contain active quarterbacks from the preseason watch list, players honored as weekly “Great 8” recipients through the season’s first eight weeks, and any additional quarterbacks approved by the selection subcommittee.
That list will be cut down to the 35-player Davey O’Brien Quarterback Class of 2024 on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and first-round fan voting will begin following the announcement. The list of semifinalists selected from the QB Class will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Foundation will announce the three finalists two weeks later.
The 2024 Davey O’Brien Award winner will be announced live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 12, during The Home Depot College Football Awards. The 48th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the winner will be held Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
