6. Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)
Now we get to our top group of returning starters. Jaxson Dart returns for his second season as the starter in Oxford after transferring in from USC the offseason before. While Dart still has not technically been named the starter and has a lot of talent behind him in transfers Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard, Dart is expected to be the guy again. It was not a perfect debut season at Ole Miss for Dart, but he still had a strong season (even if Ole Miss didn’t fully open up the passing game for him) as one of the top dual-threat QB’s in the conference. On the year, he had a 62.4% completion percentage, 2,974 passing yards, 20 passing TD’s, and 11 INT’s. Dart also ran for 614 yards and another score.
Ole Miss opens up the season on Saturday afternoon as they host FSC foe Mercer at 2:00 pm Eastern in Oxford. If Dart can limit the interceptions this season, he could be in line for a breakout season at QB for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels and a run at an All-Conference honor or better.
5. Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)
Rattler had a solid first season as the starter at South Carolina after transferring in from Oklahoma as he somewhat quietly had a strong season. On the year, Rattler completed 66.2% of his passes and threw for 3,026 yards, 18 TD’s, and 12 INT’s. He also ran for three more scores. Rattler is one of the most experienced QB’s in the SEC (914 career attempts), and remains very talented.
The Gamecocks open up the 2023 season against a tough test in top 25 North Carolina on Saturday evening. The game is at 7:30 in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. The game will feature a strong QB battle between Rattler and UNC starter Drake Maye. If Rattler can cut down on the turnovers, he could and should be one of the better QB’s in the SEC.