Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart Lands With Lane Kiffin's Old Boss in Latest Mock Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 11:05 AM ET

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has been one of the hottest names in NFL Draft circles after his performances at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine. On Tuesday, ESPN's Jordan Reid released a mock draft in which Dart is selected in the second round by the Las Vegas Raiders, whose coach, Pete Carroll, was once Lane Kiffin's boss at the University of Southern California.

"The Raiders are in position to take a chance on a Day 2 quarterback, which would be Dart if the board falls this way," wrote Reid. "He needs time to develop behind a veteran signal-caller, because it will be a big transition for him from Lane Kiffin's offense to any NFL scheme. But Dart has upside."

Carroll and Kiffin's coaching careers have been intertwined for over twenty years. In the early 2000s, Carroll was the head coach at USC for nine seasons, and he employed Kiffin for six years. He began as a tight ends coach and worked his way up to being the team's offensive coordinator in 2005 before being named the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

Kiffin returned to USC in 2010 after Carroll left for the Seattle Seahawks' head coaching position, so Kiffin was also Carroll's successor. Now, Carroll is the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and could once again extend a hand to Kiffin by drafting his record-setting quarterback.

Dart has some momentum to be a first-round pick, but he will likely end up being selected early in the second round, just as Reid predicted. Some teams may take a chance on him if they believe in their coaching staff's ability to develop all of the physical tools that Dart has, but if he lands at No. 37 with Carroll and the Raiders, that just might be best for him.

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

More must-reads: