As a pair of Ole Miss quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart were well aware of each other. But the duo hadn’t really met or gotten to know each other prior to this week.
But with Dart on hand at the Manning Passing Academy, he and one of the academy’s namesakes have gotten to break bread. And as Manning discussed it, it’s been a fun, light time of getting to know each other better.
“I’ve been to games, I’ve seen him briefly, but first time really getting to sit down with him, hang out with him, be on stage, tell some stories,” Manning said. “And so just enjoy his personality. I was able to take some light-hearted digs at him, he reciprocated and did the same to me, which is fun. That’s what it’s all about. Kind of makes it special for the group.”
Manning added that he got to spend even more time with Dart after the camp activities, sharing a meal. Manning also discussed his excitement to watch Dart in the Ole Miss offense this season.
“But got to hang with him last night a little bit and eat dinner with him so just seems like a great kid and got a good head on his shoulders and excited about his future,” Manning said.
Ole Miss could be poised for a big campaign
It has been over 60 years since Ole Miss last won a conference championship in football. The hype around these Rebels, though, suggests that they could potentially be the ones to achieve that success again in the SEC.
Greg McElroy took a look at several teams, including Ole Miss, that could end conference title droughts during a recent episode of ‘Always College Football’. Of the 10 teams he considered, the Rebels were the one that had the longest stretch by far.
“This is a really long drought so bear with me,” McElroy prefaced. “61 years! 61 years since the Ole Miss Rebels have won a conference championship. 1963 was their last SEC crown.”
Again, Ole Miss has every reason to believe that that streak ends this season with where its program stands.
The Rebels are already coming off an all-time season in The ‘Sip at 11-2. They now bring back several pieces from that team. With that, they’ll combine them with 24 transfers that make up the No. 3 portal class at On3.
McElroy thinks it fair to doubt a few aspects about Ole Miss, especially in a conference that will require near flawlessness to accomplish this. Still, with what all they have on the roster, it’s very much on the table for them in 2024.
“If you look at what the Rebels have? Now, depth. If you want to have question marks about their depth, if you want to have question marks about the potential of an up and down performance? Fair enough. I have those question marks,” McElroy said. “But if you look at just known commodities across the board? And the influx of talent that Lane Kiffin has had in the transfer portal? Adding pivotal difference makers on the defensive front in Princely Umanmielen and Walter Nolen, adding Trey Amos in the secondary, adding quality depth at linebacker. Adding quality depth to their receiver corps that didn’t need help by adding Juice Wells from South Carolina.”
Ole Miss has over six decades worth of history to rewrite if they want to finally again be SEC Champions. With that said, McElroy very much believes that they can do it when you consider their team and how things lay out for them this fall.
“Could this be the year that Ole Miss wins the conference crown for the first time since the mid-1960s? I think it very well could come to fruition,” McElroy said. “It could, especially when you look at their schedule and how things potentially settle out.”
On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report.
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