After saying goodbye to legendary quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss Rebels may have found their replacement for Dart at the position.
That replacement could be none other than former Oklahoma State Cowboy Maealiuaki Smith.
Maealiuaki Smith’s Stats Back Up Bold Transfer to Ole Miss After Jaxson Dart’s Departure
According to insider Pete Nakos, Smith recently announced his decision to transfer to Ole Miss. The California native played sparingly for head coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys last season.
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He started two games that both resulted in losses, but he threw for a combined 489 yards and recorded three touchdowns. However, he also threw four interceptions.
It appears as though he has the mentality of a gamer but just needs to be coached in the right way. There are few better offensive coaches in college football than Lane Kiffin, who will have plenty of work to do if he hopes to turn Smith into an elite player.
Jaxsn Dart Left Quite a Hole
Living up to what Dart did is going to be tough for anyone. There is a reason why the New York Giants traded back into the first round to select him. During his college career, especially towards the backend, the Utah native took the Rebels on quite a run.
He guided them to back-to-back seasons with at least 10 wins and nearly a berth in the College Football Playoff last year. Dart went from completing 65.1% of his passes, throwing for 3,364 yards, and tossing 23 touchdowns in 2023 to completing 69.3% of his passes, throwing for 4,279 yards, and tossing 29 touchdowns in 2024.
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His dual-threat capabilities were something that could not be taught, which is why the Rebels were so tough to beat night in and night out. Now, he is slated to be the future of the position in the Big Apple. If Smith emerges as the starting quarterback in the summer, there will be a lot of potential growing moments for the sophomore.
Regardless, Ole Miss fans should trust Lane Kiffin, seeing as he has certainly proven his ability to be a quarterback guru over the years in multiple roles.
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