Soon, Jaxson Dart will debut in his first NFL Preseason game for the New York Giants.
The team isn’t going to keep the young quarterback on ice. When the Giants pay a visit to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, Dart is expected to be suited up and playing for the team.
Heading into the matchup, Dart is confident that his game will translate from the NCAA to the pros just fine. While nerves would only make him human heading into his big moment, Dart publicly claimed that at the end of the day, it’s the same game he’s been playing since his youth.
“Football is football,” Dart told reporters on Thursday.
“Obviously, you’re taking the next step, so it’s a little bit more advanced and just little details and whatnot, schematics. At the end of the day, it’s the same game you’re playing when you were a kid. So, you just enjoy that, compete, don’t leave any regrets out there on the field, and don’t ever take this moment lightly, and there’s no light that’s too bright to play in.”
“Football is football. It’s the same game that you were playing as a kid. There’s no light that’s too bright to play in.”Jaxson Dart before his first NFL preseason game: pic.twitter.com/adUP9Jbi3o
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 7, 2025
After his high school days in Utah, Dart started his college career at USC. He appeared in just six games with the Trojans, and started in three of those matchups. At the time, Dart struggled with nine touchdowns, and five interceptions, while completing a little over 60 percent of his passes.
As a starter at USC, Dart went 0-3. In 2022, he moved over to Ole Miss, where he started all but one game during his sophomore season.
While the first run at Ole Miss was shaky for Dart, he has improved every year since. By last year, Dart notched career-highs across the board. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, tossing for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed 124 times, totaling 495 yards, and scored three times.
Dart wrapped up his college career with a 28-13 record as a starter. He entered the NFL Draft in 2025 as a projected first-round pick after beating out Eli Manning’s record for all-time passing yards at Ole Miss.
The Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart with the 25th overall pick. He was their second first-rounder, following Abdul Carter. While Carter is expected to play a pivotal role right away in the regular season, Dart is in a different boat.
Currently, Dart trails Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the depth chart. While he can improve his placement during the preseason, the Giants have already decided that Wilson will be their starter. Dart has plenty of room to grow, and he looks forward to the challenge of getting to the next level to compete.
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