Lane Kiffin still mum on starting quarterback as Ole Miss' opener approaches
Aug. 28—OXFORD — With just days left until No. 22 Ole Miss opens its season against Mercer, there is still no answer — at least publicly — about who will start under center for the Rebels.
Head coach Lane Kiffin told reporters Monday that a decision on who would start at quarterback against the Bears had not yet been made.
The two contenders, junior Jaxson Dart and senior Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders, have been in a battle since the latter enrolled at school for the spring semester.
"We have not made that final decision. We're very excited about all of the guys. As far as for the starter, that's two people," Kiffin said. "And, both guys did extremely well, made really explosive plays Saturday (in the scrimmage). ... We're very confident with either of them."
Dart, who transferred in from USC in the spring of 2022, started all but one game for Ole Miss last season, throwing for 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with an additional 614 yards rushing. He threw for a season-high 448 yards against Vanderbilt and had three games where he threw three touchdown passes. The Rebels committed 21 turnovers as a whole in 2022 (tied for third-most in the SEC), and Dart had eight games where he threw at least one interception.
Dart was in a quarterback battle last season with Luke Altmyer, who started against Central Arkansas and has since transferred and been named the starting quarterback at Illinois.
Sanders started 41 games at Oklahoma State and was a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2021. He threw for 9,553 yards, 67 touchdowns and 40 interceptions over four seasons with the Cowboys and rushed for an additional 1,956 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has two 400-yard passing games in his career, six 300-yard games and three 100-yard rushing efforts. He has thrown at least one interception in 25 games and threw nine last season.
"I just still like to collect information and still keep practicing and keep pushing forward. And like I said, I feel extremely confident in both guys, (they) can take and win games," Kiffin said. "And both guys have on big stages, which is very unusual to have. That's more like in the NFL, you have veterans like that. So, I wouldn't think too many people have that, with two guys that have been on the big stage and performed well. So, we're excited."
The Rebels averaged 33.5 points per game last season, good for 28th nationally and fifth in the SEC, and were eighth nationally in total yards per game (496.4 yards). Oklahoma State averaged 32.5, 30.2, 31.1 and 30.6 points per game in Sanders' four seasons, respectively. The Cowboys committed 23 turnovers as a team last season, which was second in the Big 12.
Sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins doesn't believe the prolonged quarterback battle will have any effects on himself or the Rebels' offense. Judkins ran for a school-record 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, and the combination of himself, Dart and Zach Evans helped Ole Miss rank third nationally in rushing yards per game.
"Just me, being so confident in each and every one of those guys, it hasn't had an effect on me in that way," Judkins said. "I think just me knowing that, no matter who's in there, they're great at what they do, they're confident in their game and just, whoever is put out there, I know they'll perform."
