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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Jaxson Dart Named Manning Award Finalist
12/5/2024 | Football
NEW ORLEANS – Ole Miss football senior quarterback Jaxson Dart has been named a finalist for the 2024 Manning Award, as announced on Thursday.
Dart is one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. In college, Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning combined for over 25,000 passing yards and 201 touchdowns while playing in 10 bowl games and earning four bowl MVP awards. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, while both Peyton and Eli were selected No. 1 overall.
The winner will be announced after the College Football Playoff National Championships in January, and will again be selected by a voting panel – which includes national media and each of the Mannings – after the postseason. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' postseason performances in its balloting.
Combined, these 10 quarterbacks have thrown for 283 touchdowns and nearly 35,000 yards this season, while also rushing for 43 touchdowns on the ground. Dart is among four honorees from the SEC alongside Georgia's Carson Beck, Texas' Quinn Ewers and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
Dart – a native of Kaysville, Utah – is in his third season as Ole Miss' starting quarterback in 2024 after transferring from USC his freshman season in 2021. In his overall career, Dart is 825-of-1,272 (64.9 percent) for 11,566 yards and 77 touchdowns with a career rushing line of 1,498 yards and 14 scores on 381 carries – making him one of four active FBS quarterbacks at 13,000 yards of total offense at 13,064.
At 27-10 (.730) as a starter with the Rebels, Dart owns the most wins and the best winning percentage by any Ole Miss starting quarterback of the modern era since Archie Manning's first start in 1968. Last season, Dart led the Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history at 11-2 – capped by a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State – and this season he has led Ole Miss to a current No. 13 CFP ranking and helped lift the Rebels to a historic 28-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia.
As a Rebel, Dart owns a passing line of 708-of-1,083 (65.4 percent) for 10,213 yards, 68 touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 161.2 – and he will leave Ole Miss as the best signal-caller in program history in several areas. Dart has taken hold of Ole Miss career marks in total offense (11,668), passing yards, 300-yard passing games (14) and rushing yards by a QB (1,455), and he currently ranks first on the career lists in passing efficiency and total offense per play (8.09).
This season, Dart owns a passing line of 249-of-363 (686 percent) for 3,875 yards, 25 touchdowns, six interceptions and an efficiency rating of 177.7. On the ground, Dart owns 452 yards and three scores, pushing his total offense to an FBS-leading 360.6 yards per game.
Dart also leads the FBS in yards per pass attempt (10.7) while leading the SEC and ranking FBS top-five in passing efficiency (FBS No. 2), yards per completion (15.6; FBS No. 3), passing yards (FBS No. 4) and passing yards per game (FBS No. 4), while ranking third in the SEC and 16th nationally in passing touchdowns.
On the season passing lists, Dart's 2024 campaign is within striking range of Ole Miss records in passing yards, passing TD and total offense.
Dart was recently named the winner of the C Spire Conerly Trophy – given out to the most outstanding college football player in Mississippi – and is a finalist for both the NFF William F. Campbell Trophy (the "Academic Heisman") and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Dart was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell, Walter Camp and the Davey O'Brien awards, and he has earned weekly conference honors twice and national weekly awards 10 different times – most coming after his record-breaking performance against Arkansas on Nov. 2. Dart set Ole Miss single-game records in passing yards (515) and total offense (562), while tying the single-game record in passing touchdowns (6).
2024 Manning Award Finalists
Carson Beck, Georgia
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
John Mateer, Washington State
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Dart is one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. In college, Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning combined for over 25,000 passing yards and 201 touchdowns while playing in 10 bowl games and earning four bowl MVP awards. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, while both Peyton and Eli were selected No. 1 overall.
The winner will be announced after the College Football Playoff National Championships in January, and will again be selected by a voting panel – which includes national media and each of the Mannings – after the postseason. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates' postseason performances in its balloting.
Combined, these 10 quarterbacks have thrown for 283 touchdowns and nearly 35,000 yards this season, while also rushing for 43 touchdowns on the ground. Dart is among four honorees from the SEC alongside Georgia's Carson Beck, Texas' Quinn Ewers and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
Dart – a native of Kaysville, Utah – is in his third season as Ole Miss' starting quarterback in 2024 after transferring from USC his freshman season in 2021. In his overall career, Dart is 825-of-1,272 (64.9 percent) for 11,566 yards and 77 touchdowns with a career rushing line of 1,498 yards and 14 scores on 381 carries – making him one of four active FBS quarterbacks at 13,000 yards of total offense at 13,064.
At 27-10 (.730) as a starter with the Rebels, Dart owns the most wins and the best winning percentage by any Ole Miss starting quarterback of the modern era since Archie Manning's first start in 1968. Last season, Dart led the Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history at 11-2 – capped by a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State – and this season he has led Ole Miss to a current No. 13 CFP ranking and helped lift the Rebels to a historic 28-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia.
As a Rebel, Dart owns a passing line of 708-of-1,083 (65.4 percent) for 10,213 yards, 68 touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 161.2 – and he will leave Ole Miss as the best signal-caller in program history in several areas. Dart has taken hold of Ole Miss career marks in total offense (11,668), passing yards, 300-yard passing games (14) and rushing yards by a QB (1,455), and he currently ranks first on the career lists in passing efficiency and total offense per play (8.09).
This season, Dart owns a passing line of 249-of-363 (686 percent) for 3,875 yards, 25 touchdowns, six interceptions and an efficiency rating of 177.7. On the ground, Dart owns 452 yards and three scores, pushing his total offense to an FBS-leading 360.6 yards per game.
Dart also leads the FBS in yards per pass attempt (10.7) while leading the SEC and ranking FBS top-five in passing efficiency (FBS No. 2), yards per completion (15.6; FBS No. 3), passing yards (FBS No. 4) and passing yards per game (FBS No. 4), while ranking third in the SEC and 16th nationally in passing touchdowns.
On the season passing lists, Dart's 2024 campaign is within striking range of Ole Miss records in passing yards, passing TD and total offense.
Dart was recently named the winner of the C Spire Conerly Trophy – given out to the most outstanding college football player in Mississippi – and is a finalist for both the NFF William F. Campbell Trophy (the "Academic Heisman") and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Dart was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell, Walter Camp and the Davey O'Brien awards, and he has earned weekly conference honors twice and national weekly awards 10 different times – most coming after his record-breaking performance against Arkansas on Nov. 2. Dart set Ole Miss single-game records in passing yards (515) and total offense (562), while tying the single-game record in passing touchdowns (6).
2024 Manning Award Finalists
Carson Beck, Georgia
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
John Mateer, Washington State
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Players Mentioned
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