Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin takes a shot at NFL mock drafts and other outside noise

Lane Kiffin took to the mic yesterday as Fall Camp entered week 4 for the Rebels. Among plenty of questions, Kiffin was asked about the pressure on the program due to preseason rankings, watchlists, and other outside noise. He did not hold back on one area of preseason content, with much more of it this year than previous seasons.

Kiffin said he was not affected by pressure created by the media, as he has higher expectations for himself than anybody. However, he was concerned that players may feel the opposite due to mobile phones having content coming at them nonstop.

Mock drafts took the biggest hit, with Kiffin saying, "They are usually totally inaccurate." Kiffin also mentioned rankings and watchlists, which do not mean anything.

All the outside noise will not stop; it's the territory when it comes to sports. What Kiffin can do is talk about it with his players, something he does daily, trying to steer their thoughts away from what is being written. Instead, putting their minds on what they can control: performances on the field.

""I'm trying to work on those things all the time with these guys (media pressure). Now there is more of it than we have ever had here for sure, with preseason rankings, positional rankings, and mock drafts, it's a lot to guard against.""

- Lane Kiffin at Fall Camp presser

It's a very different feel from any other season for Ole Miss, a year that many media outlets are writing as one that ends in glory. Listening to players on the team being interviewed, they know the pressure is there but are not afraid of it.

Wide receiver Cayden Lee said the team's standards rise to another level when they see or hear about rankings. The goal is the National Championship, even before any of the buzz around them. Lee mentioned a favorite term around the building: "rat poison."