"Takes a little bit of time": $14M worth Lane Kiffin addresses relationship with Jaxson Dart's successor

Following the departure of Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin is widely expected to name Austin Simmons as the program’s starting quarterback for next season. Simmons made nine appearances from the bench for the Rebels in 2024 after redshirting as a freshman.

Ole Miss resumed the second week of spring practice on Tuesday, and Kiffin spoke to the media afterward. The coach, who has a net worth of $14 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), was questioned about what his relationship with Simmons looks like, considering what he built with the last two quarterbacks.

“I think those relationships, like any relationships, grow with time, especially as they become the quarterback,” Kiffin said on Monday (Timestamp: 0:48).

“I think then you spend much more one-on-one time with them because of just things that happen through the course of the season, through the course of training camp, and you need to spend more time with them at that point because they have a lot of impact on the team.

“So, I think that always takes a little bit of time, and it's not just how many years they've been there. I think it's more when they become, you know, the guy running with the first team, I think that that relationship grows.”

Austin Simmons undoubtedly has a huge responsibility ahead of him in the upcoming season playing under center for Ole Miss. His predecessor took the program to the next level, and the expectations in Oxford and beyond are for Simmons to maintain the trajectory.

Lane Kiffin discloses what Austin Simmons can learn from Jaxson Dart

Lane Kiffin wants to get Austin Simmons ready for the starting quarterback role next season, and the coach has helped him get to work. Following Ole Miss’ first spring practice last week, Kiffin commented on what the quarterback needs to learn from Jaxson Dart.

"He’s got a hard act to follow. He doesn’t need to be Jaxson; everybody’s different," said Kiffin. "But that was a really good one for him to learn from — to see how Jaxson took the whole team in. I see him trying to do that, but at the same time, he’s going to be his own person, too."

Playing under Lane Kiffin's explosive offense, Dart threw for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns during his three-season tenure at Ole Miss. He finished as the program's all-time passing yards leader, beating the record set by two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning.