Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss fans might be on the verge of stunningly good news on quarterback Jaxson Dart

What began as a “joke” from Lane Kiffin in an on-field interview following Ole Miss’ complete destruction of Duke in the Gator Bowl looks like it might actually have a shot at becoming reality. Could Jaxson Dart actually return to Ole Miss?

Immediately following Ole Miss’ 52-20 win over Duke in the Gator Bowl Lane Kiffin said, “You never know. Maybe [Jaxson Dart] will file a waiver and come back another year.”

Obviously, Jaxson Dart has run out of standard NCAA college football eligibility, having played in more than four games in four separate seasons. However, multiple reports were released on Thursday suggesting that Ole Miss fans may actually have some hope in seeing Jaxson Dart return for the 2025 season.

Both Inside the Rebels and the Ole Miss Spirit shared that Dart is pursuing a special waiver from the NCAA to receive one additional year of eligibility. We at A to Z Sports reported what this would mean and why it could actually make sense right after the Gator Bowl, but to see Dart’s camp actually pursuing this opportunity is a bit surreal.

Despite Jaxson Dart making it clear that he would be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft and participating in the Senior Bowl festivities at the end of this month, he may actually be headed back to Oxford. For those unfamiliar with the “how” behind this special waiver ever possibly being granted, it’s both simple and complicated all at once.

Simply put, Jaxson Dart–and the entire 2021 recruiting class as a whole–were put in an extremely disadvantageous spot due to the pandemic that impacted their ability to maximize their earnings potential in college. That particular language would be critical if Dart’s camp (or any other 2021 recruit) went to court over this potential waiver and extra year of eligibility.

The entire 2021 recruiting class–Jaxson Dart included–could not visit campuses or coaching staff in-person for the vast majority of their entire recruiting journey. Every single player who was playing college football in 2020 was granted an extra year of eligibility, which impacted how many 2021 players got recruited at all. And on top of the lack of roster and scholarship spots, competing with a much older roster around them made it difficult to get on the field and lock in their position on the team.

All of those variables–and potentially many more–could and likely are at this time being argued to have impacted Jaxson Dart’s collegiate career in a negative way. Dart’s career was really the best case result when compared to nearly every other player in the 2021 recruiting class. The NCAA may not want to grant Dart’s waiver for extra eligibility, but their streak of lawsuits lost in the age of advancing players rights might convince them to fold before ever having to go to court over this issue.

We’ll find out more in the coming days as Dart is going to have to make a decision quickly if he wants to head to the NFL or in fact return to Ole Miss.

The deadline to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft is January 20th for those not participating in the national championship.

The deadline to opt out of that declaration decision is February 7th, so Dart would need an answer from the NCAA no later than that date.