Jaxson Dart is making a bid for another accolade.
His teammate Walter Nolen is in the running as well.
Both the Ole Miss senior quarterback and junior defensive lineman have been named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as revealed by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Wednesday. Their performances have been crucial in the Rebels’ turnaround, possibly leading them to a College Football Playoff spot.
Dart, who is also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards, is completing 70.8% of his passes, which is the highest among SEC-qualified quarterbacks. Over 10 games, he has thrown for 3,409 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions, resulting in an efficiency rating of 188.6. In addition to his passing, Dart has accumulated 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns, bringing his total offensive output to a leading 371.3 yards per game in the FBS. He also excels in multiple categories, leading the FBS in passing efficiency and yards per pass attempt, while ranking in the top 10 for yards thrown, yards per completion, passing yards per game, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage.
Dart tops the conference in all these categories as Ole Miss heads into its second bye week.
After defeating then-No. 3 Georgia, Dart boasts a 26-9 starting record with the Rebels, marking the most wins for any Ole Miss quarterback in the modern era. Last season, he guided the Rebels to their first-ever 11-win season with an 11-2 record, capped by a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. Currently, he’s led the Rebels to a No. 10 ranking in the AP poll and No. 11 in the College Football Playoff poll as they approach the final two regular-season games.
He recently set a school record by completing 25 of 31 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns in a win against Arkansas, while also adding 47 rushing yards for a total of 562 yards, surpassing Archie Manning’s 1969 record of 540 total yards.
Dart’s career statistics for Ole Miss include a completion rate of 65.8%, 9,747 passing yards, 65 touchdowns, and an efficiency rating of 163.4. His 1,307 rushing yards rank him among the best rushing quarterbacks in school history, just 31 yards shy of Matt Corral’s record. Additionally, he holds Ole Miss career records for total offense (11,054 yards) and 300-yard passing games (13), while chasing several other career and seasonal records, including Eli Manning’s total passing yards.
Nolen, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, has been essential to a dominant Rebel defense that leads the nation in sacks (46) and tackles for loss (103), while also ranking among the top 10 in rushing defense, scoring defense, and red zone defense. A transfer from Texas A&M, Nolen has contributed 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. He is currently rated as PFF’s No. 7 interior defensive lineman nationally, with an 84.8 overall grade.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award will be determined by votes from 134 FBS head coaches and sports information directors later this month. Finalists will be announced on November 26, and the 58th recipient will be revealed during the ESPN College Football Awards Show on December 12.
Here are all the semifinalists selected by the committee:
– Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State
– Bryson Daily, QB, Army West Point
– Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
– Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
– Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
– Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
– Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado
– Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
– Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
– Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina
– Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
– Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
– James Pearce, Jr., Edge, Tennessee
– Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Edge, Virginia Tech
– Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
– Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
– Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
– Cam Ward, QB, Miami
– Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
– Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
