Players and staffers at Ole Miss have stayed quiet regarding Lane Kiffin, choosing the high road, but that doesn't mean Lane Kiffin won't be left out to dry by the rest of the SEC as the tampering investigation heats up.
It wasn't anyone from Ole Miss, per se. This time, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss's attorney Tom Mars put Kiffin on toast, connecting dots from the past to the (not-so) shocking investigation the CSC has launched into LSU.
"College sports’ new enforcement arm has opened its first publicly known investigation into a big-name program: LSU," The Athletic reported Jan. 30.
"The College Sports Commission (CSC) has started an inquiry into the Tigers over a potential violation of rules related to unreported player compensation, according to a Jan. 15 email obtained Friday by The Athletic through a public records request."
Just hours after the news, Mars took to his social media to expose the first red flag he saw from back when Kiffin was hired by LSU, which set off the alarm for something very fishy.
"This action by the CSC was inevitable from the moment Ross Dellenger reported: “[LSU is] promising [Kiffin] significant NIL-related roster investments exceeding $25 million — perhaps the most important determining factor for the coach.” Nice way to put a target on your back," Mars tweeted on Jan. 30.
This action by the CSC was inevitable from the moment @RossDellenger reported: “[LSU is] promising [Kiffin] significant NIL-related roster investments exceeding $25 million — perhaps the most important determining factor for the coach.” Nice way to put a target on your back. 🎯 https://t.co/FPJbh01ImS
— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) January 30, 2026
When the post went viral for all the right reasons, Mars added a follow-up clarification regarding him not being the first person to point the simple fact out.
"For clarification, I was just observing that LSU invited scrutiny from the CSC by 'guaranteeing' $25MM in NIL roster money, i.e., promising LSU would get it done whether or not the CSC approved $25MM in NIL deals. For what it’s worth, I’m not the first guy to point this out," Mars added, citing a quote from Kiffin himself talking about rev sharing and NIL.
Both Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding are caught in the crosshairs of the tampering firing that started with Dabo Swinney, and the best they can do is await the verdict on their future.