OXFORD — Lane Kiffin has what can only be described as a good problem: Ole Miss football has too many quarterbacks.
After LSU redshirt freshman Walker Howard and Oklahoma State last-chance senior Spencer Sanders committed to play for Kiffin and the Rebels last week, a quarterback room that lacked depth a week ago now lacks clarity.
What’s the future of returning starter Jaxson Dart? Will Howard factor into the competition or is this a fight between the veterans for next season? Will a stricter NCAA outlook on two-time transfers make it easier for the Rebels to hang onto the QBs that don’t win the job?
As we sort out last week’s chaos, here’s a way-too-early case for each QB to stay or go.
Returning starter Jaxson Dart
Why he’ll stay: Dart can offer continuity. If the Rebels choose to build on what they did offensively last season rather than wiping the slate clean and starting fresh, Dart’s the guy. Having arrived from USC last offseason, Dart threw for 2,974 yards in his first full season as a collegiate starter. He gave the Rebels a second dimension by running for 614 yards, too.
Why he’ll go: You don’t exactly have to be an expert in reading tea leaves to say that if Kiffin was perfectly comfortable with Dart as his guy in 2023, he probably wouldn’t have brought in a one-year QB in Sanders, especially after Howard’s commitment quelled the depth concerns. Dart was solid in 2022, but probably didn’t offer the ceiling at the position some were hoping for. Turnovers were also a concern – his 11 interceptions were the second-most in the SEC. If Dart loses the job, would he be comfortable waiting Sanders out with Howard also in the fold?
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Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders
Why he’ll stay: Of this trio, Sanders is the most accomplished quarterback. He’s got over 9,500 passing yards and 43 career games under his belt over four seasons at Oklahoma State, and owns more career wins (31) than Howard and Dart have combined appearances (21). Kiffin’s actions in bringing him into the fold as a one-year rental tell us the Ole Miss coach thinks Sanders can help.
Why he’ll go: We’ve already seen what happens when a player loses a QB competition with one year left on his clock. Jarret Doege bounced from West Virginia to Western Kentucky to Troy in one offseason when he lost out at WKU. And, even for a veteran, this is a step up. We know what Dart looks like in the SEC. We’ve never seen Sanders outside of a QB-friendly Big 12.
LSU transfer Walker Howard
Why he’ll stay: Howard has something Sanders doesn’t: time. If Howard doesn’t win the job in 2023, he’s got three more years on his NCAA clock to make that happen. He’ll have known that there was a competition ahead of him when he made his choice.
Why he’ll go: Howard’s youth and inexperience give him the least compelling case to bolt. Barring something unforeseen, there’s little reason to think Howard will depart.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.