Jacksonville, FL.- The stage is set! The Ole Miss Rebels will face off against the Duke Blue Devils in the annual ACC/SEC clash known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. This announcement comes moments after Ole Miss exclusion from the 12-Team College Football Playoff, where the Rebels were named as the “third team OUT”. Upon the CFP selection committee’s announcement, Ole Miss was immediately contacted by representatives of numerous prestigious bowl games, before the Rebels ultimately selected the TaySlayer Bowl.
The Rebels ended the regular season 9-3, boasting one of the country’s top offenses. Offensively, Ole Miss was led by senior QB Jaxson Dart, who threw for 3,875 yards and 25 touchdowns, alongside 452 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Dart’s senior season solidified himself as one of the top QB prospects headed into this upcoming NFL Draft. Whichever team is lucky enough to make Jaxson Dart their franchise guy is getting one of the most complete QB’s we’ve seen come out of college football in recent memory. First off, Dart is a pro style passer, being able to connect on every branch of the route tree at a professional level. He also possesses such a lethal dual threat ability, which only elevates his game and the offense he runs. Long story short, Jaxson Dart is the real deal, and could end up as a steal depending on what team he’s selected to.
Dart’s top target this year was Tre Harris, who recorded 60 grabs for 1,030 yards and 7 touchdowns. Harris has flown up Draft boards as scouts have raved about his big play potential every time he gets a hold of the rock. With that being said, I can very easily see both stars opting out of the Bowl to preserve Draft stock, meaning Muck City’s Austin Simmons would become the Rebs’ starter. Simmons, a redshirt freshman left-handed QB, is one of the more polarizing players across the game. Austin Simmons has gotten some experience under his belt, making his way to the field six times throughout the season. I expect Lane Kiffin and his staff to begin preparing Austin Simmons to handle the keys to this offense.
As for Duke, Manny Diaz’s squad far exceeded expectations in 2024. The Blue Devils finished 4th in the ACC, standing at 9-3, with strong losses to Miami and SMU. Duke QB Maalik Murphy broke out his sophomore season, throwing for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns, with 798 of those yards and 7 scores going to Jordan Moore. Murphy to Moore was one of the most electric duos in the ACC, and should be fun to watch on the national Bowl setting. In the backfield, Star Thomas shinned bright for the Blue Devils. Thomas recorded 871 scrimmage yards and 7 rushing touchdowns, finishing as a top 10 back in the conference.
This year’s ACC v SEC matchup between Duke and Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Bowl l will be held at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 2nd. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 P.M.
Cover Photo Credits: Ole Miss Athletics