Winning consistently is one thing in college football; developing QBs to be elite across conferences is something else. Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin knows how to do both.
Kiffin has to have a whisperer-like superpower to always bring out the best in his QBs, be it the one who was with him for three years or the one who has started just three games.
It took him a couple of years to establish Jaxson Dart as an elite signal-caller in the SEC, but look how he turned out in his NFL debut. Meanwhile, his new (and likely) next starting QB, Trinidad Chambliss, took just three games to match the hype and even Dart's SEC record from 2024.
Not just that, Kiffin averted a collapse of the program when their starting QB, Austin Simmons, got injured just two weeks into the game. Kiffin put his confidence in the Division II National Title winner Chambliss, and then some by making him start three games, one of them being the all-important Magnolia Bowl clash against LSU.
All the roster roller coaster, and so far, it is yet to show on their 5-0 scoreboard.
And it's not just the quarterbacks that make Kiffin's feat so impressive. The Rebels returned only four starters from 2024. Yet still, they rank No. 1 in ESPN's 2025 SEC conference standings.
The Ole Miss head coach's ability to trust young players and guide them to the right way at the right time is the key to it all. And it might also be the reason the team becomes one of the very first to secure a berth in the college football playoffs this season.
Ole Miss Heading straight for college football playoffs
Ole Miss's remaining slate has Washington State, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Citadel, Florida, and MS State. By the end of it, the Rebels might have a loss or two, if their future opponents can pull off major upsets.
Worst-case scenario: The Rebels lose one to Georgia, and either South Carolina or Oklahoma pulls off a major upset against the Rebels. It still positions Ole Miss as a two-loss team, and a highly likely one to reserve a college football playoff berth.
That said, the current Ole Miss roster doesn't look like one that loses that easily. We saw that against LSU most recently, where they snatched the Tigers' early lead in the second quarter.
If everything works out Kiffin's way and they finish with a perfect season, we might as well be looking at a serious national championship contender team.