Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart proved exactly why he’s a top tier 2025 NFL Draft QB in epic Gator Bowl MVP performance
Star Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart absolutely obliterated the Duke Blue Devils’ Top 15 FBS defense in the Gator Bowl on Thursday, winning MVP of the game, and proving exactly why he’s a top tier QB in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Thanks to Dart’s absurdly impressive performance Ole Miss put up 52 points to Duke’s measly 20 in a Gator Bowl blowout victory. He finished the game with over 400 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 11.5 yards per pass attempt, playing the entire contest just like he said he would earlier this week.
Some quarterbacks in college football rack up their production on a bunch of easy quick-hitting throws (which Dart has no problem executing himself too), but Dart threw some deep shot dimes against Duke on Tuesday.
Just check out his 51-yard QB1-kind-of-throw in the post below. Dart was forced to his left outside the pocket. He quickly flipped his hips, reset his feet, and launched a rocket down the field that dropped into Jordan Watkins’ lap along the sideline.
It’s throws like these that continue to prove Jaxson Dart should be considered a top tier quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. Some skeptics (who must have just simply not watched Dart play enough) want to dismiss Dart’s wild statistical success, crediting much of his play to Lane Kiffin and his “QB-friendly” scheme.
The thing is though, Dart’s reliance on schematic boosting variables like play action, screens, or pre-snap motion is quite minimal compared to all of his contemporaries in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Dart throws screens on fewer than 9% of his drop backs (extremely low mark). His play action numbers are above FBS average, but even his reps without play action would rank him inside the top ten in most every meaningful rate stat.
Jaxson Dart finished the 2024 season ranked first in total yards per game, first in yards per play, second in adjusted yards per pass attempt, fourth in total QBR, and fifth in EPA per play. And after his picture perfect bowl game performance his complete seasonal stats might rise to rank first across the board in quite literally every efficiency measure in all of college football.
For some reason Cam Ward (QB, Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado) are the only two consensus top tier quarterbacks far above Jaxson Dart for most, but it might not stay that way.
As of this writing Cam Ward isn’t participating in the all star game circuit at all. Shedeur Sanders is reportedly only going to throw one day at the Shrine Bowl practices. Dart has a perfect opportunity to stand out at the Senior Bowl, succeed in his interviews, and rise to the top of the 2025 NFL Draft board by April. If he doesn’t? NFL teams that pass on him will certainly regret it.
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And if you want to watch some of the best plays from Jaxson Dart’s career you can check out this highlights video below!
