Ole Miss football fans are used to seeing Jaxson Dart in shotgun.
It’s been the default look for most of his career, the starting point for almost every snap he’s taken since college.
Life in the NFL is different, though, and now he’s learning something different. On Day 2 of the New York Giants’ training camp, Dart made it clear that operating under center is one of the biggest adjustments he’s working through.
“There are a few mechanical differences,” Dart said. “The biggest things are probably some of the footwork and the landmarks in the pocket, but we’ve repped the hell out of it.”
For Dart, lining up under center isn’t just a new starting point. It’s a mechanical overhaul. Most high school and college offenses line their quarterbacks up in a shotgun position. NFL teams do, too, but not as frequently.
And it’s not a simple change to make. The drop changes. The timing changes. The landmarks change. Even the way a quarterback feels pressure changes. It forces him to rebuild the foundation of how he plays the position. So far, though, the process is working well for Dart.
“I feel really good about the track we’re on, and I’m comfortable,” he said. “It’s not something I have to think extra about when I’m on the field running a play.”
That’s the key. Under center, everything is tied to the drop. Three‑step, five‑step, play‑action, boot. Every step has to match the route timing. If the feet are late, the ball is late. If the ball is late, the window closes. It’s a rhythm position, and the rhythm starts with the feet.
Dart’s comfort level also reveals something about Harbaugh’s vision for this offense.
Under‑center work usually means more downhill run game, more play‑action, more defined pockets, and more chances to stress defenses horizontally before hitting them vertically. It’s a pro‑style layer that forces defenses to play honest. It also forces the quarterback to be disciplined.
“It’s more about getting the reps from a conceptual standpoint and getting on time with all the guys,” Dart said. “It’s something we’ve really emphasized and gotten a ton of reps with this offseason.”
The tension now is simple. Dart feels comfortable. The offense is demanding more. Those two things have to meet in the middle for the Giants to get the version of this scheme Harbaugh wants.
If they do, Dart becomes a more complete quarterback. A player who can operate from any platform, any formation, any structure. A player who can run a pro‑style offense without losing the creativity that made him dangerous with the Rebels.
The under‑center evolution isn’t flashy, but it’s required to be successful in the NFL.
And if Dart keeps stacking these reps, it might end up being one of the quiet reasons he avoids the second-year slump.
