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Ole Miss Football: Kiffin working to make the Rebels special in 2024

By Jordan Merritt

Nov 23, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) talks with defensive back Daijahn Anthony (3) prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) talks with defensive back Daijahn Anthony (3) prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the college football regular season over and a pause before the bowl games, head coaches and staff are putting in work. Lane Kiffin is one coach who is on the trail 24/7 to improve Ole Miss. In the early stages of the transfer portal, Kiffin is working to make the Rebels special in 2024.

In four seasons with Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin has made the team fun to watch, alongside winning football games. During his time, Kiffin has a record of 33-15, with two 10-2 regular season records and twice being ranked in the top 12 end-of-season rankings.

This season, despite being ranked lower than in the 2021 season, it was arguably Kiffin and the Rebel’s best. Both losses came against top six ranked teams in Alabama and Georgia, who both competed for the SEC Championship. Ole Miss recorded home wins over LSU and Texas A&M while beating Auburn and regaining the Egg Bowl on the road.

Despite this, Ole Miss still haven’t made an SEC championship game. The Southeastern Conference is getting a make-over next season, with the divisions being scrapped and the top two teams heading to the championship game.

The question is how does Kiffin make the Rebels special in 2024 and bridge the gap between the top two in the Southeastern Conference?

Lane Kiffin has got the tag as the “portal king” in his time at Ole Miss and he is looking to make sure that sticks this time round.

The transfer portal opened up Monday, with plenty of activity since then. Kiffin has already sent out offers to some big names, with positive news materialising from recruiting sites.

The Ole Miss wide receiver room took a blow when Dayton Wade confirmed he was heading to the NFL. Not long after, it was announced 4-star receiver Deion Smith was committing to the Rebels from Holmes C.C. If the Rebels can keep hold of Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins for one more season and add another transfer like Antwane “Juice” Wells or Will Sheppard, the Rebels could have one of the best receiver cores in college football.

The defense had its good games and bad games under first-season defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Despite DT JJ Pegues confirming he was staying for another year and the excitement around Suntarine Perkins going into his second season, they still need a bit more on that side of the ball to make the Rebels special in 2024.

Kiffin has sent out offers out to Arkansas linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr and Oklahoma safety KeShawn “Key” Lawrence, with the Rebels looking like they are leading the race to land both players.

The two players that could help make the Rebels are formidable defense next season are Texas A&M DL and Oregon State CB Jermod McCoy. McCoy has received an offer from Ole Miss earlier this week. It would be a tall order to grab both of these guys. However, if Kiffin can work his magic then it would be a massive step forward for the Rebels.

It’s early days in the cycle to get players in for next season. However, Kiffin is working hard as always to make the Rebels special in 2024.

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