Ole Miss football picks up two massive transfer targets from USC

After weeks of worry and speculation, tight end Michael Trigg and Jaxson Dart officially committed to Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon.

This announcement came via Instagram after both posting pictures in Ole Miss and Oklahoma uniforms with the caption #notcommitted throughout their commitments leaving everyone guessing.

Prior to the announced commitment, those on Twitter took to investigating their enrollment a different way, including promised puka shell necklaces to match our new quarterback.

Jaxson Dart, a Utah native, and quarterback from the University of Southern California announced that he would be entering the transfer portal earlier this month. It seemed that he was making his decision between Oklahoma and Ole Miss, but chose the Rebels.

During his freshman year at USC, he threw for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns. While impressive, his high school stats are next level. Dart broke the Utah state record for touchdown passes with 67 in a single season. He also threw for 4,691 yards, an absolutely obnoxious number.

Finding a quarterback has been the clear discussion throughout this off-season and many have doubted Kiffin and his recruiting ability. The head coach clearly silenced the haters with this four-star recruit quarterback.

While it is still not certain who will be under center come September, we do know that there will be a true quarterback battle in the Spring for the first time in years.

Ole Miss tight ends coach has been instrumental in the recruiting of these two players, having already recruited them once before to USC. Head coach Lane Kiffin has also focused special attention on Dart and is a key factor in getting him to land in Oxford.

Former Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby left after the Sugar Bowl to become the new offensive coordinator at his alma mater Oklahoma. He was also heavily involved in the recruiting process for Dart and Trigg but came up short. Dillon Gabriel, a former UCF quarterback now enrolled at Oklahoma, looks to be a factor.

The tight end position struggled this season after Kenny Yeboah declared for the 2021 NFL Draft leaving walk-on Casey Kelly and Chase Rogers to fill that role. With injuries throughout the season, they weren’t able to be utilized the way a traditional Kiffin offense would like.

Michael Trigg, a 6-foot-4 tight end from Tampa, FL finished his freshman campaign at USC with 109 total yards on seven receptions. He added only one touchdown on the season but is an immediate impact player for the Rebels. Coming out of high school, Trigg was the No. 4 overall tight end and the No. 21 overall prospect out of Florida in the 2021 recruiting class.