Jaxson Dart: I’ve tried to model my game after Jalen Hurts
Jaxson Dart had plenty of success at the college level, becoming a first-team All-SEC honoree for his performance in 2024.
But speaking to the media on Friday at the scouting combine, he had an answer that could surprise some when asked who his favorite quarterback is to watch right now.
“I think it’s a little bit of a cop-out because he just won the Super Bowl, but I love J Hurts and what he does,” Dart said, referring to Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX MVP, Jalen Hurts. “I feel like I’m very similar in my play style to him. I feel like we can do a lot of the same things.
“Obviously, he’s an elite player and I’m trying to reach that level. But he’s been somebody that I’ve tried to resemble my game after just because of his versatility — being able to run and throw the ball, and just how strong he is in the pocket. That’s something that I’ve had a lot of fun watching, observing his play style.”
Dart began his college career at USC before transferring to Ole Miss in 2022. He doesn’t have any experience sitting on the bench, as he played as a true freshman before starting for three years at Ole Miss. But he wouldn’t have a problem with taking a year to sit and learn if he had to.
“I’ve never sat on the bench before. So, that would definitely be an adjustment early on,” Dart said. “But I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. I think it’s something that you can come into a situation and learn as much as you can. A lot of times when you’re in that situation, [you’re] playing behind a veteran quarterback who’s had a ton of success and just knows a ton about the game. So, you’ve got to be a sponge. And I think a lot of times, you’ve seen some of the most successful quarterbacks come out of situations like that. You can bring up Patrick Mahomes, as of late Jordan Love. And for me, I’m excited to just have the opportunity and compete wherever I go.
“I know I can make a room better, I can make a team better. So, I’m just going to be a sponge in any situation that I’m in — really, just try to take my game to the next level.”
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Ole Miss Star Points To Eagles’ Jalen Hurts As His Template
In a year where the quarterbacks aren’t exactly wowing NFL personnel evaluators, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss could become the favorite flavor of some quarterback-needy teams.
Conventional wisdom has the All-SEC performer as the QB3 of the draft class behind Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Dart’s ceiling is passing Sanders to become the QB2 and the floor is likely a Day 2 pick, and hopes of development down the road.
The latter was the path of Jalen Hurts after the Eagles selected the reigning Super Bowl MVP at No. 53 overall in 2020 with the idea he could be a cost-effective backup to then-starter Carson Wentz and potentially spun off down the road.
Instead, Wentz derailed and Hurts has become the definition of a winner with a 52-23 record as the starter in Philadelphia with two Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles routed the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, earlier this month in New Orleans during Super Bowl LIX.
Speaking to reporters on Friday at the NFL’s scouting combine, Dart went to Hurts when discussing his favorite quarterback to watch and noted similarities in his game to the Eagles’ star,
“I think it’s a little bit of a cop-out because he just won the Super Bowl, but I love J Hurts and what he does,” Dart said. “I feel like I’m very similar in my play style to him. I feel like we can do a lot of the same things.”
Dart did note that further development on his part is needed and seemed to be pointing at Hurts for his own potential ceiling.
“He’s an elite player and I’m trying to reach that level,” said Dart. “But he’s been somebody that I’ve tried to resemble my game after just because of his versatility — being able to run and throw the ball, and just how strong he is in the pocket.
“That’s something that I’ve had a lot of fun watching, observing his play style.”
Most NFL evaluations have graded out Dart, who began his college career at Southern California before moving to Ole Miss and the SEC in 2022, as a Day 2 pick but there’s seems to be a growing sentiment among some that he could chase down Sanders in the first round because certain teams value his skill set more.
Either way, Dart seems to be ready for a Hurts-like path of starting as a backup and seizing the opportunity when it’s presented.
“I’ve never sat on the bench before. So, that would definitely be an adjustment early on but I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all,” Dart said. “I think it’s something that you can come into a situation and learn as much as you can.”
Sitting behind a veteran who understands the position would hardly been the worst outcome for any of the options in this year’s draft class.
“A lot of times when you’re in that situation, [you’re] playing behind a veteran quarterback who’s had a ton of success and just knows a ton about the game,” said Dart. “So, you’ve got to be a sponge. And I think a lot of times, you’ve seen some of the most successful quarterbacks come out of situations like that. You can bring up Patrick Mahomes, as of late Jordan Love. And for me, I’m excited to just have the opportunity and compete wherever I go.
“I know I can make a room better, I can make a team better.”
MORE NFL: Historic Combine Performance Put Texas A&M Star Out Of Eagles’ Reach
John McMullen is a veteran reporter who has covered the NFL for over two decades. The current NFL insider for JAKIB Media, John is the former NFL Editor for The Sports Network where his syndicated column was featured in over 200 outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald. He was also the national NFL columnist for Today’s Pigskin as well as FanRag Sports. McMullen has covered the Eagles on a daily basis since 2016, first for ESPN South Jersey and now for Eagles Today on SI.com’s FanNation. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com. John is also the host of his own show “Extending the Play” on AM1490 in South Jersey and part of 6ABC.com’s live postgame show after every Eagles game. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
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John McMullen | 16 Minutes Ago
NFL Combine 2025: Quarterback Jaxson Dart meets with Seahawks
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Dart is considered to be the next best quarterback in the draft after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
The Seattle Seahawks were inevitably going to meet with quarterbacks at the NFL Combine, and we have our first confirmation of.
Former Ole Miss star Jaxson Dart told media on Friday that he met with the Seahawks.
“For the Seahawks, it’s been great to build a relationship with them,” Dart said. “They have an elite coaching staff and have a ton of talent on their team, so it’s been a lot of fun sitting and talking ball.”
Dart is considered by draft analysts such as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah to be the QB3 of this year’s class, behind Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. That doesn’t necessarily mean Dart would be taken in the first round, but that he’s most likely be gone by Day 2.
Here’s a snippet of Jeremiah’s analysis of Dart from last week’s media conference call, which Field Gulls attended:
“The things that you like about Jaxson, I see — there’s some similarities, people will maybe raise their eyebrows on this, but I do see some similarities to [Jalen] Hurts when Hurts was going through the process. Got kind of a similar build, similar frame. They’re both really good athletes. They’re both beloved by their teammates, say the right things, do all the right things, do all the stuff on and off the field. There’s a lot of similarities there. I thought with Jalen, he got better every year. He kept taking steps.
“We’ve seen it since he’s come into the league, he just keeps getting better and better and better. He’s got great wiring. He works really hard, and there’s a competitiveness and a toughness to him.”
“So that’s some of the things that I really like about Jaxson. This offense, they’re not going to get real deep into progressions. Lane [Kiffin] does a really good job of getting to the point where early in progressions you’re going to have places to distribute the football. You’ll see some RPOs. You’ll see some seams, some — they take a lot of deep shots, but they’re kind of designed deep shots. You kind of know where the ball is going, but he throws a nice deep ball to work on from that regard, not just kind of getting deeper in progressions. There’s times where I think his eyes can be a little bit ahead of his feet, just kind of syncing that up, marrying that up a little bit better, and just continuing to be cautious and careful with the football in some key moments. That’s some areas for him.
“I have met him. He’s a really, really good kid, presents himself really well, and I think there’s a lot of tools to work with. That’s why I have him as the third quarterback.”
For what it’s worth, Dart believes he has a similar playstyle to Jalen Hurts and says he’s “trying to resemble” his game after him.
As Dart himself noted, he’s the youngest quarterback in this class at 21 years old. He started at USC at an 18-year-old freshman before transferring to Ole Miss, where he led the Rebels to consecutive 10-win seasons as a junior and senior. Dart was All-SEC First-Team in 2024, throwing for 29 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, as well as rushing for 495 yards—he rushed for more than that, but college makes sack yards lost rushing yards—and 3 touchdowns. He’s known to have a good arm and mobility to move in and outside the pocket, but has had some decision-making lapses against some of the top teams in the few losses he’s had in the past two years.
If the Seahawks are looking to take a swing at quarterback and know there’s virtually no chance of getting Ward or Sanders, then Dart is the leader in the clubhouse for “best of the rest” unless he tanks his combine performance or someone like Ohio State’s Will Howard or Texas’ Quinn Ewers really impresses.
Dart has also met with Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders (who would, of course, have a higher second-round pick than Seattle) and the Pittsburgh Steelers, among other teams.
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