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PROVO — Jaxson Dart's second chapter after a breakout freshman season at USC won't bring him back home.
The former Corner Canyon and Roy High standout is headed for Oxford, Mississippi, instead.
Dart committed to transfer to Ole Miss, as first reported by ESPN and later confirmed on social media. The former USC quarterback who was rated as the No. 2 prospect by The Athletic in a transfer portal that includes over 1,000 players will likely be the favorite to replace Matt Corral, who threw for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago en route to the Rebels' 10-3 record.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Dart selected Ole Miss over offers that included Oklahoma, BYU and a return to USC, among others. He took official visits to the Sooners and Cougars, but ultimately felt that Lane Kiffin's rising SEC program would be the best fit for him.
"I love SC and am extremely grateful for my time here," Dart wrote in a message on Instagram. "Now! We heading to the 'Sip, to Ole Miss Nation … I can already tell Oxford is a special place.
"I can't wait to get to work and give you all that I have. Hotty Toddy!"
Dart started three games as a true freshman at USC and came off the bench for large roles in three others as he usurped the starting job from injured starter Kedon Slovis. The freshman who ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 300 prep rankings in 2021 completed 67% of his passes for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions as a freshman, including 248 yards and a score in a 35-31 loss to then-No. 13 BYU, while also struggling with injuries of his own.
Dart's former teammate at USC, tight end Mike Trigg, announced his commitment to Ole Miss later Saturday afternoon. The former four-star recruit caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown as a freshman in 2021, and took several recruiting visits with Dart — notably, to Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Dart's move to Ole Miss is thought to signal that former Oklahoma starter Caleb Williams will follow ex-Sooners coach Lincoln Riley to USC, though the Washington, D.C.-area native hasn't committed to the Trojans as of the time of this writing. Williams is the only player rated above Dart in The Athletic's portal power rankings.
Dart rewrote part of the Utah High School Activities Association record book during his lone season at Corner Canyon after transferring from Roy High School. The Kayesville native set a state record with 67 passing touchdowns in 2020, when he threw for 4,683 yards and accounted for 79 touchdowns, the most in a single season since Logan's Riley Nelson in 2005, en route to the Chargers' third-straight state title.
The Gatorade national football player of the year and Deseret News Mr. Football finished his prolific career with 603 completions for 10,683 yards, currently the sixth-best mark in Utah prep history. His 116h career passing touchdowns ranks fourth in state history.
