Heisman Watch: After throwing six touchdowns last week, Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart has a great chance against Georgia

How realistic is Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart as a Heisman contender?

The senior is now the No. 5 favorite for the Heisman at BetMGM at +2000 after throwing six touchdowns in the Rebels’ blowout win over Arkansas in Week 10. Dart was responsible for two-thirds of Ole Miss’s score in the 63-31 victory, as he completed 25 of 31 passes for 515 yards. Yes, he threw as many incompletions as touchdown passes.

It was a touchdown explosion from a player who hasn’t been responsible for too many points in recent weeks. Since throwing four touchdowns in Ole Miss’ win over Georgia Southern on Sept. 21, Dart had thrown just three touchdowns in the Rebels’ last four games. It’s also no coincidence that his lack of TD passes coincided with Ole Miss’ 2-2 record in that span. Ole Miss ranks fourth in the country with just over 42 points per game, but the win over Arkansas marked the first time the Rebels scored more than 27 points in an SEC game this season.

The productive game against Arkansas couldn’t have come at a better time to boost the hopes of the Ole Miss fan base. The home game against Georgia on Saturday is a must-win.

At 7-2 and 3-2 in the SEC, the Rebels have no room for error in both the SEC title race and the College Football Playoff battle. And they don’t have another big game ahead of them either. After a week off in Week 12, Ole Miss will play Florida and Mississippi State to close out the season.

If Ole Miss wants to compete for the playoffs, it has to beat Georgia. And if Dart really wants to compete for the Heisman, he’ll have to have a big game if Ole Miss beats Georgia.

Dart’s season statistics are very good. He leads the country with 3,210 yards despite playing one more game than many of his peers. However, he doesn’t just rack up those yards through quantity. He also leads the nation with 11.6 yards per pass attempt. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke is second with 10.5 yards per pass. No other QB is in double figures.

However, it’s hard to imagine how Dart can win the Heisman without Ole Miss making the playoffs or perhaps even the SEC title game. Yes, Jayden Daniels won the Heisman a season ago while LSU went 9-3 and didn’t make the playoffs, but Dart doesn’t have the rushing stats that Daniels does. Just like last season, Dart is averaging 3.3 yards per carry after accounting for sacks and has only rushed for three touchdowns. He currently ranks 10th among all players in total touchdowns. Daniels finished second in 2023 and averaged the most points per game of any player.

A win over Georgia on Saturday puts Dart further into the Heisman conversation. But it still may not be enough to make him more than a trivial finalist at best.

Here are our four other players to keep an eye on in Week 11:

Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter (+175): Hunter has become the nominal favorite ahead of Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel as Colorado is now in the thick of the Big 12 title race thanks to losses at Kansas State and Iowa State in Week 10. As long as Hunter stays healthy, it will be a surprise if he isn’t a Heisman finalist.

Miami QB Cam Ward (+200): Ward’s chances are better than Gabriel’s because he has powered a Miami team that has defensive deficiencies that Oregon does not have. Ward leads the country with 29 passing TDs and should add a few more to that total Saturday against Georgia Tech.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+300): Is Saturday night a chance for Gabriel to improve his stats? The Ducks are 25-point favorites at home against Maryland. The Terrapins gave up just 48 points to Minnesota and allowed 37 to Northwestern.

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+500): Jeanty finally has the chance to appear on prime time network television on Saturday. Yes, Boise State’s home game against Nevada will coincide with Alabama’s trip to LSU, but at least Jeanty will be on Fox at a time when most college football fans are awake.