On Saturday, in front of the fourth-largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history, No. 13 Ole Miss signal-caller Trinidad Chambliss stunned Brian Kelly’s No. 4 LSU by leading the Rebels to a 24-19 win.
Chambliss threw for 314 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 71 yards, becoming the first SEC player in 30 years with three straight games of 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards. Head coach Lane Kiffin recently also talked about his former star and revealed the traits of QB Jaxson Dart, who is all set to make his NFL debut on Sunday.
Lane Kiffin Reveals What Makes Jaxson Dart Different
As Ole Miss celebrated another signature win with Trinidad Chambliss under center, Lane Kiffin also reflected on one of his former quarterbacks, New York Giants starter Jaxson Dart, who is beginning a new chapter in the NFL.
Ahead of the Ole Miss-LSU SEC showdown, Kiffin explained on his appearance on “See Ball Get Ball” with David Pollack that Dart’s defining traits were his competitiveness and authenticity, which separated him from most players. Analyst David Pollack praised Jaxson Dart’s competitive edge before asking Lane Kiffin about him.
There’s a reason Jaxson Dart’s teammates and coaches are fired up to see him get the start.
Lane Kiffin knows better than anybody! pic.twitter.com/RGsDNLV0Ul
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) September 28, 2025
“He is my spirit animal. I just — I love the way the dude competes like nothing’s too much for him. Like he’ll run you over. He’ll do what it takes to just love his demeanor in a world where everybody’s always wanting to be liked,” Pollack explained.
While responding to Pollack, Rebels coach Kiffin noted that Dart never shied away from difficult moments and had a relentless drive that inspired his teammates.
“He’s awesome, and credit to his family. His parents just did a great job. Their whole family is like that. It’s just awesome people would be around. You say spirit animal, there’s people you want around. And Jaxson, the time that he takes for little kids, know, or teammate on defense, it’s a backup, you know, and it’s so genuine and real,” Kiffin explained.
“That’s how he won the team, didn’t win the team by speeches, any of that. It’s just, it’s who he is. It’s what he does,” he continued.
The Ole Miss coach even recalled an early impression from Dart’s first days in Oxford. At the time, he wasn’t sure if Dart’s kindness was simply a tactic to gain favor, but he quickly realized it was just who the quarterback was at his core.
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“When he first got here… he was here one time, my son, he’d take him to lunch. And I was like, man, is he trying to impress the head coach? You know, like, he’s not. He’s just pouring into people,” the Rebels’ coach said of the new Giants starter.
For Kiffin, Dart’s ability to connect with everyone, whether a young fan or a backup defender, was the real reason he became a leader at Ole Miss. That same personality is now being tested at the NFL level, where he has been given the keys to the New York Giants’ offense.
Now, Dart has officially stepped into the NFL spotlight. After starting 38 games for Ole Miss, guiding the Rebels to back-to-back 10-win seasons, and setting the school record for career passing yards, he was drafted by the New York Giants in 2025.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll recently handed him the starting role, benching Russell Wilson after an 0-3 start. Dart’s debut comes against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium, a moment that could define his next chapter.
Up next for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels, Ole Miss will host the Washington State Cougars at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
