Lane Kiffin gave Ole Miss fans another memorable moment during the Gator Bowl.
When ESPN’s Taylor McGregor asked him how it felt to watch quarterback Jaxson Dart in his final game for Ole Miss, Kiffin couldn’t resist a lighthearted response.
“It’s awesome. He’s playing great. You never know. Maybe he’ll file a waiver and come back another year,” Kiffin joked, drawing laughs from the sidelines.
When McGregor pressed him with, “Are you pushing for that?” Kiffin simply smirked and replied, “Maybe.”
Dart’s time at Ole Miss has been nothing short of remarkable. After transferring from USC, he rewrote the Rebels' record books, surpassing Eli Manning as the program’s all-time passing leader with over 11,500 passing yards and 90 total touchdowns.
His leadership and dedication to the team were on full display as he led the Rebels to a 52-20 victory over Duke, wrapping up his college career in style.
Despite his NFL Draft declaration, Dart chose to play in the bowl game rather than sitting out—a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Kiffin.
“Jaxson has been an amazing leader... He came in, set records, and inspired the younger players,” Kiffin said. He praised Dart’s decision to suit up, contrasting it with the trend of top players skipping non-playoff games. “For him to say he’s playing right away impacted a lot of our other players. He’s amazing.”
Ole Miss finished the year ranked No. 14 in the country. The Rebels were the second team left out of the College Football Playoff and Lane Kiffin made sure everyone knew it, repeatedly, for the last several weeks.
Now, Kiffin will have to work on rebuilding his roster — including finding an answer to replace Dart — for next season as Ole Miss looks to compete in the SEC and, perhaps, find a path to the playoff in 2025.