Week 10 Maxwell Football Club Players of the Week

The Maxwell Football Club honors college football's top performers over the course of the season through weekly awards. The Maxwell Player of the Week award is given to the top offensive player, and the Bednarik Player of the Week award is given to the top defensive player.

Here are the players who stood out above the rest in Week 10.

Maxwell Player of the Week

QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

With preseason national title expectations on their shoulders, the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have been somewhat disappointing. In a home loss to the Kentucky Wildcats (3-6, 1-6) and an overtime loss to the No. 14 LSU Tigers (6-2, 3-1), the Rebels' explosive offense struggled to move the ball consistently and even looked pedestrian at times. As the Rebels prepared to face an explosive Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4, 3-3) team, many believed that Ole Miss would continue to disappoint and officially put their 2024 College Football Playoff hopes to rest with a loss.

Instead, quarterback Jaxson Dart stepped up when it mattered most and delivered a career-defining performance. The dynamic leader of the Ole Miss offense went 25-of-31 passing for an incredible 515 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 63-31 win over the Razorbacks.

Dart's 515 passing yards set a record for the most passing yards in school history. His 562 total yards of offense surpassed legendary quarterback Archie Manning for the most total yards in a game in school history. He became the second quarterback in SEC history to throw for over 500 yards and 6 touchdowns in a game. The win marked Dart's 25th win as the quarterback of Ole Miss, surpassing quarterbacks Eli Manning and Bo Wallace for the most wins in school history. The Rebels' 63 points tied the school record for the most points scored against an SEC opponent. Dart's performance truly cemented his name in the record books and will be remembered for generations to come.

More importantly, his performance injected life into a team who saw their 2024 CFP hopes slipping away. With a game against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1) looming, Ole Miss will need to be at their best to stand a chance. As long as Dart is at the helm, though, the Rebels have to believe that they can compete with even the best teams in the country.

Bednarik Player of the Week

DE Mikail Kamara, Indiana

Kamara's ferocious play on the defensive line has been a pivotal part of the No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers' (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten Conference) shocking turnaround in 2024. Against the Michigan State Spartans (4-5, 2-4), he managed to take his level up another notch.

The Hoosiers offense came out slow against the Spartans, and Michigan State took full advantage. Facing a 10-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter, the Indiana defense decided to take matters into their own hands. Kamara led a dominant defensive line with 7 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a quarterback hurry. His tenacious pass rush forced Spartans' quarterback Aiden Chiles into mistakes that flipped the field and set the Hoosiers' offense up for success. After allowing 10 points in the first quarter, the defense shut out Michigan State the rest of the game for a commanding 47-10 win.

The Hoosiers have quickly gained recognition for their explosive, high-flying offense in their impressive 2024 campaign. While the defense has often been overlooked, they have played a vital role in Indiana's undefeated season. Kamara will hope to continue to stand out for the dynamic Indiana defense and, as a result, take the Hoosiers to new heights.