College Football QB Power Rankings: Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart assumes top spot after breakthrough win over Georgia

There was plenty of talk about Lane Kiffin finally getting the monkey off his back when Ole Miss took down Georgia over the weekend, but he wasn’t the only one. Jaxson Dart was right there alongside Kiffin in those failures against the SEC’s best, and it had been an albatross on an otherwise impressive career for Dart at Ole Miss.

Dart never had a horrible game in any of Ole Miss’ previous entanglements with ranked SEC opponents, but he only had one great performance — a five-touchdown effort in a 55-49 win over LSU last season. Still, beating No. 13 (at the time) LSU isn’t on the same level as knocking off Georgia. 

The irony? Dart wasn’t incredible in the game! He finished with 249 total yards and averaged 9.0 yards per attempt, but he threw only one touchdown and also had an interception. But in a soggy weather duel with Carson Beck, Dart made plays when his team needed them, and they were the kinds of plays he failed to make in previous attempts to beat Alabama or Georgia (or even LSU earlier this year). This week, that’s enough to move Dart up to No. 1. Some quarterbacks had better numbers this weekend, and some are having better seasons overall, but nobody had a bigger win for himself or his program.

• This is not a NFL Draft board ranking, nor is it based on any kind of statistical formula. Your numbers matter, sure, but overall, I’m ranking quarterbacks based on the “juice” they have at the current moment in time. It’s a combination of how well you’re playing, what you have accomplished and what you might accomplish in the near future. If you believe a QB I haven’t listed should be listed, I only kept them off the list because I don’t like you. Or, perhaps it’s this second part. 
• I don’t rank any QB the week after a loss, or if they’re injured. You could be the greatest QB of all time, but if you lose on Saturday, you won’t be here. If you win, it’s because your teammates did their jobs. If you lose, it’s on you. Embrace it. Also, if you’re currently injured and unavailable to play, sorry, but you’re out here too. Availability is the most important ability.

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Honorable Mention: Jalon Daniels, Kansas; Riley Leonard, Notre Dame; John Mateer, Washington State; Jake Retzlaff, BYU; Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana