OXFORD — Former Ole Miss football quarterback Jaxson Dart isn’t going to be a stranger in Oxford.
Dart, the all-time passing leader at Ole Miss, was drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the New York Giants in April. He returned to Oxford on July 10 for a football camp. Dart threw passes to campers, conducted drills and took photos at the Oxford High football field. There were about 300 participants.
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Dart is using some of his NFL salary for a place of his own in Oxford.
“Obviously, Oxford was a special place to me,” Dart said. “This is a place that I want to continue to come back to. I’m buying a house here. I love it here. This is like a second home for me. I told my mom on the plane flight last night just how excited I was to be back here.”
It was the third camp Dart has run in Oxford. Kids and parents alike chanted his name when he entered the field, and a coach touted his accolades. Dart is the winningest quarterback in Ole Miss history. In addition to the all-time passing record, he has the program’s all-time single-game yardage record (562 against Arkansas in 2024) and total yardage record.
Dart is battling for a starting role in the Giants’ training camp with veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Regardless of how well Dart is playing in the NFL, Oxford serves a key role in his life as a place he can come back to and recharge.
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“I feel like Oxford is almost like an escape for me,” Dart said. “From the distractions that I have. Whether things are going great or if things are just going OK, I can come back here and I know that the support and relationships I’ve made here are special and strong. It’s a special community when everyone can gather.”
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart is making Oxford his ‘second home’