Ole Miss Rebels QB Jaxson Dart, DL Walter Nolen named Walter Camp Award semifinalists

Jaxson Dart throws his name in the ring for another piece of hardware.

So did his teammate Walter Nolen.

The Ole ma’am senior quarterback and junior defensive lineman were named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as announced Wednesday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The duo was also the backbone of the Rebels’ turnaround to a potential College Football Playoff berth.

Dart – who is also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and semifinalist for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards – is currently completing 70.8 percent of his throws, leading all SEC-qualified passers. In 10 games, he has thrown for 3,409 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions and has an efficiency rating of 188.6.

As a runner, Dart has totaled 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns, pushing his total offense to an FBS-leading 371.3 yards per game. The third-year starter also leads the FBS in pass efficiency and yards per pass attempt (11.4), while ranking in the top 10 among FBS passers in yards (FBS No. 2), yards per completion (16.2; FBS No. 3), passing yards per game (340.9; FBS No. 4), passing touchdowns (FBS No. 6) and completion percentage (FBS No. 7).

Dart also leads the conference in every category entering Ole Miss’ second bye week.

After a win then-No. 3 GeorgiaDart owns a 26-9 record as a starter for the Rebels, the most wins of any Ole Miss quarterback in the modern era. Last season, Dart led the Rebels to their first 11-win season in program history at 11-2, highlighted by a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. He led the Rebels to a current No. 10 ranking in the AP poll and a No. 11 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll through the final two games of the regular season.

He too set a school record after completing 25 of 31 pass attempts for 515 yards and six touchdowns in the team’s win over Arkansas. He also added 47 rushing yards, bringing his final yards total to 562.

That surpassed Archie Manning’s record of 540 yards set in 1969. Manning, a junior, completed 33 of 52 passes for 436 yards and two touchdowns. Manning also rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-32 loss to No. 15 Alabama.

For his Rebels career, Dart has a completion rating of 65.8 percent. He threw for 9,747 yards, 65 touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 163.4. Dart’s 1,307 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground also make him one of the best rushing quarterbacks in Ole Miss history – 31 yards shy of Matt Corral’s record of 1,338.

The Utah native also owns Ole Miss career marks in total offense (11,054) and 300-yard passing games (13), and is closing in on several other career and season records — including Eli Manning’s career passing yard total of 10,119.

Nolen – a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award – has helped lead a fearsome Rebels defensive team that leads the nation in both sacks (46) and tackles for loss (103), while also ranking FBS in the top 10 in involves rushing defense (second, 79.9 ypg), scoring defense (sixth, 12.9 ppg) and red zone defense (eighth, 69.2 percent).

Nolen, a transfer from Texas A&M, has totaled 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three QB hurries, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. The Tennessee native is currently PFF’s No. 7 rated interior defensive lineman nationally with an overall grade of 84.8 (No. 2 SEC).

Nolen’s run defense grade of 90.6 leads the SEC and ranks third among all FBS interior defensemen.

The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be voted on later this month by the Football Bowl Subdivision’s 134 head coaches and sports information directors.

Three finalists will be announced on Tuesday, November 26, and the 58th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year Award will be announced during the ESPN College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 12.

Here are all the semi-finalists selected by the committee:

Walter Camp Player of the Year Award semifinalists

Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State

Bryson Daily, QB, Army West Point,

Jaxson Dart QB, Ole Miss

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Travis Hunter, WR/DB, Colorado

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Caleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Walter Nolen DT, Ole Miss

James Pearce, Jr., Rand, Tenn

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Edge, Virginia Tech

Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame