One quality Lane Kiffin believes Austin Simmons should master from Jaxson Dart

Lane Kiffin had Jaxson Dart manning the ship for the Ole Miss Rebels in the 2024 college football season. Dart played every game, guiding the Rebels to a solid 10-3 record.

However, Dart has since declared for the 2025 NFL draft, ending his time with Ole Miss. Kiffin now needs to find a new starting quarterback for the Rebels for the first time in years, with Austin Simmons emerging as the likely successor.

Simmons, a two-sport athlete who spent the 2024 season as Dart's primary backup. Kiffin believes that Simmons can take over the QB1 role once he masters a key Jaxson Dart trait.

According to Athlon Sports, Kiffin said,

"He’s (Simmons') got a hard act to follow. He does not need to be Jaxson (Dart); everybody is different," said Kiffin. "But that was a really good one for him to learn from — to see how Jaxson (Dart) took the whole squad in. I see him trying to do that, but at the same time, he needs to be his own person, too."

Simmons has been with the Rebels since the 2023 season. He started out as a third string QB, but has since ascended the ranks. The Moore Haven Junior Senior High School product has learned from Dart's mentorship and is now poised to battle for the starting job in spring training camp.

What to expect from Lane Kiffin and Austin Simmons in 2025?

Lane Kiffin led the Ole Miss Rebels to four straight wins to start the 2024 college football season. Their first loss of the season came against an inspired Kentucky Wildcats team in Mississippi.

The Rebels lost two more games in the season against the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. These losses meant that they missed out on the expanded college football playoffs.

Lane Kiffin is under pressure to avoid similar losses and guide the Rebels to the postseason. He'll need to do this without his trusted lieutenant, Jaxson Dart. However, Austin Simmons, having learned under the future NFL QB over two seasons, is expected to step into Dart's shoes and provide some stability to the program.