After four years as a starter Spencer Sanders is still adjusting to his unknown role at Ole Miss
Spencer Sanders was the starting quarterback at Oklahoma State but since he transferred to Ole Miss his role with the offense is murky at best four days before the Rebels open up the 2023 season.
This is due to Sanders currently in a quarterback battle with returner Jaxson Dart that has been ongoing since the spring. Throughout spring and fall camp neither has been named the starter, depsite Dart having more reps with the ones this month.
For Sanders this is a strange new world that he is having to adapt to. Going through the motions of what a starting quarterback would be doing days before the season opener but without knowing his true role within the Ole Miss offense.
“I haven’t heard anything (regarding the starting position),” Sanders said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’re still just competing everyday.”
On Monday Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin continued his stance of being undecided in naming a starter between Sanders and Dart. Kiffin cited the desire to continue gathering information between the two throughout this week of practices.
This has led to constant questions from the media to Kiffin, Sanders and Dart regarding the position battle. Frustration is even starting to mount for some of the parties involved.
Dart was succinct in his answer on Tuesday when asked if not being named the starting quarterback up to this point is frustrating or causing a proverbial chip on his shoulder to form.
“Yeah, I think so. Absolutely,” Dart replied.
The quarterback situation is one that neither Dart nor Sanders created on their own but it is one they are having to navigate. For Dart it is the third one in as many years as a college player and for Sanders this is something not experienced since winning the job in Stillwater years ago.
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Sanders and Dart are around each other every Ole Miss practice but it does not translate to a close bond off the field.
Once the practices and team meetings are completed it is fair to say neither are hanging out afterwards with one asking the other to grab a bite to eat.
“I would say it’s pretty good,” Sanders said of his relationship with Dart. “I wouldn’t say it’s bad. I wouldn’t say we go out and eat ice cream together when we’re at home, but we’re cordial.”
Sanders did go on to admit his teammate and peer has helped him out when needed since Dart is a year into Kiffin’s offense and Sanders is only a handful of months into learning the playbook.
“We talk to each other, he we help each other. He’s helped me, actually, quite a bit. Obviously, he’s been here, he knows the offense. You want to be the best at the offense, you know you at least have another person who was the best here before you got here. So, you learn things.”
Whether the quarterback battle is settled within the walls of the Ole Miss locker room and Manning Center is not known. But publicly it appears Kiffin is going to at least take two quarterbacks into the opener against Mercer this Saturday.
