Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Sends Clear Message to Jaxson Dart on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 1:44 PM ET

In Week 6, the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels had a bye week after Lane Kiffin's team began the season with a 5-0 record.

To make things even better, Ole Miss landed a commitment from four-star class of 2027 quarterback Keegan Croucher on Sunday, as he chose Ole Miss over the Penn State Nittany Lions and Oregon Ducks.

With Ole Miss having a bye week, Kiffin hit the road to watch his former QB, Jaxson Dart.

Dart made the first start of his NFL career in Week 4, replacing Russell Wilson for a 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

In Week 5, the Giants hit the road to take on the New Orleans Saints, and Kiffin posted a message on his Instagram story while he was in attendance at the Caesars Superdome.

Former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (left) with head coach Lane Kiffin.Matt Bush-Imagn Images

"Let's go!!!!" Kiffin wrote while tagging Dart.

The photo also showed the Saints' field from a box, so Kiffin is spending his bye week watching his former star make his second NFL start.

Dart was selected 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and entered a quarterback battle with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, although it didn't take long for Giants head coach Brian Daboll to name Dart the starter.

Prior to Dart's first regular-season start, Kiffin shared the message he gave to his former quarterback, via Alex Byington of On3.

“Just to take it easy, relax. This guy’s played a lot of football [in college] for a rookie, played in a lot of big games. So, really just take it one snap at a time and don’t try to do too much,” Kiffin said. “[But] I’m watching him warmup right there and he looks like he’s trying to throw the ball through the wall already. So I don’t know if he even listened to me.”

Dart went 13-of-20 for 111 yards and a score while adding 10 carries for 54 yards and another touchdown to help the Giants to their first win of the season last week.

Dart began his college career with the USC Trojans before transferring to Ole Miss, and he was the starter for his final three seasons in Oxford. In 2024, he posted career highs across the board with 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Ole Miss to a 10-3 record.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: