Jaxson Dart gives impressions of Penn State defense
Ole Miss is getting ready to take on Penn State in the Peach Bowl. Ahead of that game, quarterback Jaxson Dart shared his first impressions of the Nittany Lions’ defense.
One of the key things that stood out to Dart was how fast Penn State’s elite defense is this season.
“Obviously they’re elite,” Jaxson Dart said. “They’re one of the best defenses in the country. Got a lot of speed. They’re long, especially at the linebacker position, and they’re explosive on the edges. [They] have great corners and their DBs as a whole have been playing at a really high level.”
Jaxson Dart isn’t just calling Penn State elite, either. The Nittany Lions have one of the best defenses, statistically speaking, in the country. Penn State is first in the country in total defense, giving up just 223.3 yards per game. The Nittany Lions are also third in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 11.4 points per game and shutting out three teams, including two Big Ten opponents, this season.
However, the Penn State defense will be without defensive coordinator Manny Diaz for the game. He left to become the head coach at Duke. To this point, head coach James Franklin hasn’t hired a new defensive coordinator.
Along with Jaxson Dart, Lane Kiffin also recently shared his first impression of Penn State. While doing so, he joked that he wouldn’t mind seeing some of the Nittany Lions’ defensive stars opt out of the Peach Bowl.
“So, I got an early report from my personnel people that phenomenal players, couple of first rounders on defense that I was hoping Coach [James] Franklin was going to announce they’re opting out. That would help us with that too. So, that’s all I know,” Kiffin said.
Ultimately, Kiffin got his wish, with elite edge rusher Chop Robinson opting out to prepare for the NFL.
Jaxson Dart shares where he stands on decision about his future
There has been some drama as it relates to Jaxson Dart and whether or not he’ll be returning to Ole Miss. For now, though, he’s focused on the Peach Bowl and not looking to answer questions about his future.
“Yeah as of right now I’m really just focused on the bowl game,” Dart said. “We’re going to take that decision as a family decision. There’s a time and place for that, but right now I’m just fully focused on the bowl game and winning this game.”