Tag: Ole Miss Football

New intel on the 2025 NFL draft stock of Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart

Want to know how a healthy sample size of NFL teams view Jaxson Dart? We’ve got you covered.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has been the talk of the town, and given the need for a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft for the Cleveland Browns, there has been an explosion of conversation about him.

And while some saw him as the best quarterback at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, and while scouts aren’t sold on Dart, the noise is loud and hard to sift through. However, Daft on Draft took to the streets and got intel from four different scouts in four different buildings on how those teams viewed the Ole Miss quarterback.

The feedback overall was the same across the board. No team spoken to in the article had a Day 1 or Day 2 grade on Dart:

“One AFC scout told me that his grade is, ‘nowhere near the first two rounds for us.’ Another AFC scout in response to the Dart hype gave a NSFW answer to his opinion on the Ole Miss quarterback. An NFC scout expressed an early Day 3 grade on him, while another NFC scout indicated their building had an even lower grade than that on Dart.”

However, another common thing that was noted in the article was the work ethic of Dart and why that could vault him into Day 2 consideration. As it stands now, however, it’s hard to find a building with a top-100 grade on Dart.

Scouts not sold on another QB trying to be forced into the conversation

Despite the hype, it’s hard to find NFL personnel buying into Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart

In a 2025 NFL draft class where the Cleveland Browns likely need a quarterback, many are trying to force Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart into the conversation.

However, it is hard to find anyone in NFL buildings who agree with the assessment that Dart belongs in the same conversation as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward. During the Reese’s Senior Bowl, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler chatted with NFL personnel to get their take:

“An NFC executive agreed that first-round talk is misguided, noting that Lane Kiffin’s system at Ole Miss is a “mess” for incoming NFL quarterbacks and doesn’t translate. That showed early in the week, with Dart looking uncomfortable calling plays in the huddle and taking snaps under center.”

He struggled at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. After analyzing all three days of practice tape, it was evident that Dart will take quite some time to transition from the college to the NFL level after running Lane Kiffin’s juvenile offense for three years.

There was even one rep on an easy bootleg where Dart had two levels open to throw for a touchdown and instead hesitated and ran out of bounds for a loss on the play. I fact, it was Louisville’s Tyler Shough who had the best week of any of the quarterbacks.

This is a two-quarterback class.

Transfer WR who recently visited Texas A&M has committed to Ole Miss

After visiting Texas A&M this weekend, former Penn State wide receiver Harrison Wallace will transfer within the SEC

This weekend, Texas A&M hosted a long list of 2026 and 2027 prospects, including several five-star recruits. Coach Mike Elko and his staff are focused on adding prospects to both cycles throughout the offseason.

Joining said prospects, former Texas tight end Amari Niblack and former Penn State wide receiver Harrison Wallace also visited Texas A&M. The Nittany Lions standout also visited Ole Miss on Friday just hours before making his way to College Station.

This offseason, Elko and wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins have been very successful in landing receivers from the transfer portal, including KC Concepcion (NC State), Micah Hudson (Texas Tech), Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and Jonah Wilson (Houston).

However, Micah Hudson, a former five-star prospect, has taken a leave of absence from the program with an undetermined return date.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Harrison Wallace has committed to Ole Miss. Even though the Aggies could have used his production while gaining what looked like a potential insurance policy if Hudson were not to return, Texas A&M’s 2025 wide receiver room is in solid shape.

Here is what Texas A&M’s current WR room looks like heading into the spring season:

  1. KC Concepcion
  2. Mario Craver
  3. Micah Hudson
  4. Terry Bussey
  5. Jerome Myles
  6. Ashton-Bethel Roman
  7. Jonah Wilson
  8. Ernest Campbell
  9. Izaiah Williams
  10. TK Norman
  11. Kelshaun Johnson

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty

Texas A&M football adds Texas native to staff to help boost recruiting efforts

Mike Elko adds elite recruiter to football staff

There are a few things coach Mike Elko wanted to do when we arrived at Texas A&M. First and foremost was to connect strongly with the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) and use the transfer portal to bring in proven talent.

It was reported Monday morning by Jason Howell that Ole Miss Assistant Director of Player Personnel, DJ Mann, will be going to the staff at A&M as the Associate Director of Player Personnel. He is no stranger to the state of Texas having been a high school coach for nearly 20 years and serving as a member of the THSCA for just as long.

For, whatever you want to say about Lane Kiffin’s personality or underachievement’s on the football field he can recruit with the best of them. With the help of Mann, the Kiffin had his best year recruiting and landed two of the top 10 transfers out of the portal.

He appeared to confirm the reports via X with the following post.

Good personnel are hard to keep on staff long term and being able to get Mann for at least one season can help pay big dividends going for the next few years.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Does Texas A&M need to add another wide receiver to replace Noah Thomas?

Texas A&M should pursue Ole Miss transfer WR Ayden Williams after Noah Thomas entered the portal

Texas A&M wide receiver Noah Thomas entered the transfer portal late last week. While the news surprised some, Thomas likely saw the writing on the wall after coach Mike Elko added three receivers from the portal over the previous month, including former NC State WR KC Concepcion.

Thomas is the favorite to stay in the SEC, as Texas and Georgia have been in contact. Both programs need a veteran receiver and a red zone threat. However, a return to the Aggies is still possible, but either way, Elko and his staff prepare for his ultimate departure before the spring football season.

On Saturday, Ole Miss wide receiver Ayden Williams entered the portal, which, like Thomas, was unsurprising given his lack of playing time after being a top 100-ranked recruit in the 2023 class.

During the 2024 season, Williams hauled in three receptions for 39 yards. While his production was low, his size (6-3, 205 pounds) and potential are intriguing enough that they would fill out the Aggies’ 2025 wide receiver rotation.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

Lane Kiffin won’t stop being weird on the internet about the College Football Playoff

Stop posting, Lane Kiffin.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is posting weird stuff on social media about the 2024 College Football Playoff, mostly as a way to pout about his team being left out of the final 12-team field.

After Kiffin whined about the first-round results as “proof” his team got jobbed, the Ole Miss coach decided to randomly throw support behind Penn State of all teams on Tuesday night.

The Nittany Lions’ quarterfinal game against Boise State is not one you’d expect Kiffin to take a side in, but he still did for some bizarre reason.

Is this some sort of sassy insult at Boise State, who got an automatic bid in the College Football Playoff after winning the Mountain West?

Is he just trying to support former Vanderbilt coach James Franklin? Is he just super into Penn State football all of a sudden?

We have no idea, but please stop being weird about all of this, Lane Kiffin. You lost to Kentucky and Florida this year. Give it a break!

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Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt torched Lane Kiffin complaining about the CFP field

Log off, Lane Kiffin.

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin learned the hard way on Saturday about how being a bad sport can rub people the wrong way.

Kiffin has been complaining on social media this weekend about how the College Football Playoff first-round blowouts were proof his team should have gotten in over the ones who did and struggled.

Well, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt wasn’t having any of Kiffin’s snarky posts.

“Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee …. Riveting” was the sarcastic quip Kiffin shared for Saturday’s lopsided SMU-Penn State game, and Klatt fired back with a devastating retort.

“If your team played half as well as you tweet you would likely be in,” Klatt sent back to Kiffin in a post of his own.

Yowza. If you are Kiffin, you might want to log off a bit after Klatt completely shut him down for being such a jerk.

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Georgia no longer in the running for nation’s top transfer

UGA football is no longer in the mix to land the top player in the transfer portal, who is expected to commit to Ole Miss, What is next?

The Georgia Bulldogs are no longer considered a contender to land the nation’s top-ranked transfer portal prospect, Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Singleton. Georgia was once named as the leader for Singleton, but times have changed.

Singleton did not include UGA when he named his top five schools. The Georgia Tech transfer puts Ole Miss, Texas, Auburn, Miami and LSU in his top schools. 247Sports projects Singleton will commit to the Ole Miss Rebels.

Singleton led Georgia Tech in receiving during the 2024 college football season with 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns. Singleton added 131 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 21 carries.

Wide receiver remains a position of need for Georgia in the transfer portal. UGA is looking into several different receivers in the portal, including Kentucky receiver Dane Key. Georgia has also displayed interest in LSU receiver transfer CJ Daniels.

Another wide receiver target for Georgia is Idaho Vandals receiver Jordan Dwyer. Dwyer helped Idaho advance to the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals and hauled in 78 receptions for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns in an outstanding season.

Report: Former Arkansas CB was committed to Texas A&M before flipping to Ole Miss

Texas A&M reportedly had a commitment from former Arkansas CB Jaylon Braxton before Ole Miss entered the conversation

Texas A&M’s pursuit of former Arkansas cornerback Jaylon Braxton, who missed nearly every game during the 2024 season due to an injury, took a positive turn on Friday night when Aggies’ head coach Mike Elko tweeted out his usual Johnny Manziel-celebration commitment tweet, meaning the program had landed it’s third player from the transfer portal.

When an official announcement failed to reach social media on Friday, the news that Braxton had suddenly committed to Ole Miss didn’t mean much to Aggie fans who weren’t expecting him to commit, outside of the fact that the sophomore DB visited College Station on Friday.

Well, Elko will likely be much more careful tweeting out commitment news before the pen hits the paper, as it was confirmed by 247Sports Ole Miss insider David Johnson, who spoke with Braxton after his surprise commitment to the Rebels:

“I made it to Texas A&M,” Braxton stated. “I actually committed to A&M, bit then I was just sitting there and it just didn’t feel right. I was second-guessing myself. I called Coach Pete and told him, ‘I want to come to Ole Miss.’ I know what it was like when I was there. I knew that was the place for me to be.”

Texas A&M has landed two players from the transfer portal, led by former Baylor/UAB QB Jacob Zeno and former Auburn tight end Micah Riley.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

Colorado’s DJ McKinney pulled an Elijah Moore with a peeing dog celebration after a pick-6

This is a moment college football fans will never forget, and clearly DJ McKinney is among them.

The No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes emphatically closed out their regular season with a dominant 52-0 win against Oklahoma State on Friday, and between Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and more than half a dozen touchdowns, there were a lot of highlight moments.

But an unfortunate moment for the Cowboys led to not only a standout play from Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney but also a memorable celebration that seemed like an apparent ode to former Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore’s years-old controversial Egg Bowl celebration. And the timing of it couldn’t be better.

Friday, early in the fourth quarter, McKinney picked off Oklahoma State quarterback Maealiuaki Smith and returned it for a 13-yard pick-six. And he celebrated it by getting down on all fours and pretending to urinate like a dog, à la Moore’s dog-peeing celebration in the 2019 Egg Bowl.

It was a peak college football moment, and, just like Moore, McKinney was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct — though the butterfly effect implications are probably far more minimal this time around.

If you need a brief refresher: At the end of the 2019 Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, Moore scored a touchdown with four seconds left on the clock and celebrated by pretending to pee like a dog. He and Ole Miss were dealt a penalty, missed what would have been the game-tying extra point and Mississippi State won, 21-20. Ole Miss coach Matt Luke was ultimately fired at the end of the 4-8 season, paving the way for the Lane Kiffin era.

This is a moment college football fans will never forget, and clearly McKinney is among them.

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