Lane Kiffin hilariously responds to Jaxson Dart revealing messages from Ole Miss coach

Former Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart is preparing for the NFL draft on Thursday night as one of the QBs tabbed to be picked No. 1 in ESPN's last mock draft. Despite being one of the 17 prospects invited to the green room, Dart reversed course and opted not to attend the ceremony in Green Bay.

On Thursday, on the "Up & Adams Show," Dart revealed his special connection to his Rebels coach, Lane Kiffin.

"Like you said, we just had a special connection," Dart said. "It didn't start off that way when I first got there. It kind of took time to mold and whatnot. But he (Kiffin) actually texted me yesterday. He's like, 'I miss you.' I'm like, 'Alright, bro, chill out.' But you know we were always with each other whether it was always hanging out at the facilities or playing pickleball or just kicking it.

"Probably, I was a better player in year two. I don't know. For Coach Kiffin, it's really just about time. He's kind of reserved when he first meets people and he kind of just takes time to mold and to kinda form that connection."

Lane Kiffin quote-tweeted Dart's interview with a hilarious comeback.

"Chill bro. You text me “I Miss you” first!!! @JaxsonDart @heykayadams," Kiffin tweeted on Thursday.

Lane Kiffin reveals how Jaxson Dart dealt with loss

Last season, led by Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss Rebels rode high after beating the Georgia Bulldogs in Oxford. However, they faced a huge setback to their college football playoff hopes when losing 24–17 to an unfancied Florida Gators at The Swamp in Week 13.

With 1:32 remaining, Dart threw two interceptions to lose the Rebels any chance of a comeback. On Tuesday, during an interview with "USA TODAY," Kiffin revealed that the NFL-bound QB asked to come to his house immediately after the loss.

“Him (Jaxson Dart) and I are just sitting on the couch, watching the night games, watching other people get upset on the road in the SEC on senior days,” Lane Kiffin said, “but he just was like, ‘Man, I just feel like I just let down everybody in Oxford, like every person.’

“You may think you’re over it, and you’re over it in certain areas or parts of it, but then there’s a bargaining stage … I think sometimes I still do that. It was a really good team, it’s just, we played three one-score games and lost them all.”

The Rebels had started the season with College Football Playoff hype but failed to protect two fourth-quarter leads against the Kentucky Wildcats and the LSU Tigers, making them a three-loss team. Ultimately, the college football selection committee chose the SMU Mustangs and the Indiana Hoosiers in the expanded College Football Playoff field.

Lane Kiffin's meticulously assembled roster, led by Jaxson Dart, disbanded with most of the talented players headed to the NFL via the draft, with the lingering question of how their season would have turned out were it not for that damaging loss to the Florida Gators.