When it comes to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s personal life, the man is living his best life. Having ironed out things with Layla Kiffin and his three kids- daughters Layla and Presley and son Knox flourishing professionally, everything looks good. However, when it comes to his career, Kiffin is yet to bring home the Natty. After all, in the last season, the Rebels pushed their limits. The end result? 10-3 overall record! While everything looks nice, but the road ahead is replete with challenges as Ole Miss is moving into the 2025 season without a bunch of their key weapons. On that note, college football insiders came with a wake-up call for Kiffin, as if the tough SEC reality was not enough for him to buckle up.
“Which team is the most likely candidate for a serious step back this season in the SEC?” On3 analysts Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman explored this topic a little. They then came to the conclusion that it’s going to be Kiffin’s Ole Miss. Well, you must be wondering about the reason. To make long things short, it’s the brain drain. Plain and simple. Back in 2023, Kiffin’s boys had set a program record for wins with 11 victories. Then in 2024, they had the biggest win of the Lane Kiffin era and boosted their College Football Playoff hopes with a 28-10 win over the Georgia Bulldogs. But if the head coach is still living inside the bubble that he will carry his positive juju to the next season, it’s time to get his bubble popped.
On the May 15 episode of The Ruffino & Joe Show podcast, analyst Joe Deleone dished a hard pill for Kiffin to swallow. He started by creating enough suspense. “I feel a little uneasy about this Ole Miss team.” Was he doubtful about Kiffin’s head coaching talents? Not at all. He believes that he can still produce a nine-win season. However, there is something that might hold him back.
Deleone noted, “I need to read a couple of things that catch my attention,” and started taking the names of the Ole Miss players who flew off to the NFL. Eight Rebels were picked in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is a program record in the seven-round format. It includes defensive tackle Walter Nolen, quarterback Jaxson Dart, tight end Caden Prieskorn, edge rusher Jared Ivey, along with a bunch of others.
Going by Deleone’s research, the number states 31 departures that include the pro league from Kiffin’s camp and the transfer portal. The portal took away 18 players. The analyst shared, “The whole d–n team is orange… I didn’t realize that there has been this much turnover.” As Kiffin’s Ole Miss is now running mostly on new transfers, Deleone painted a bleak picture. On that note, Blake Ruffino shared, “When it comes to high school recruiting and you don’t develop from within it can be a recipe for disaster. You know why it smells fishy to you? Florida State.”
The Seminoles were ACC champions with an undefeated record of 13-0 in 2023. However, in 2024, they hit a nosedive with 2-10. The main reason being their inability to fill the gaps after the departures. Meanwhile, a quarterback duel is brewing in Ole Miss.
Is Lane Kiffin being too calm in the face of a roster calamity?
Kiffin has maintained a tradition. On May 6, On3’s Transfer Portal page landed a big update on X. It read, “BREAKING: Oklahoma State transfer QB Maealiuaki Smith has signed with Ole Miss, @PeteNakos_reports.” Maealiuaki Smith is the second quarterback in Ole Miss’ three seasons who has swapped wagons from OSU to Kiffin’s squad. Back at the Cowboys camp, he came up with 489 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. So, when it came to his efficiency as a starter, it still had doubts. Then what made Kiffin count on Smith? Well, on one occasion, the young chap has proved himself to compete at the FBS level.
His heroic feat in the game against Texas Tech. The Cowboys battled in a shootout, and he kept them in it down the stretch, even though the team ultimately fell 56-48. Smith’s numbers must have been enough to woo Kiffin. He threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders, while also throwing one pick. Now, Kiffin will have to make a tough call between Austin Simmons and Smith. While he is yet to figure that out, Steven Willis handed out a reality check.
“The roster at Ole Miss is not as good as the one that was in 2024 obviously,” he said. After all, they are missing out on their most important piece, Lane Kiffin’s ‘Dark Horse’ Jaxson Dart. The quarterback gifted the Revels a record of most wins (28), highest winning percentage (.737), and career total offense (12,115). Even Kiffin has been held accountable for his actions. “Kiffin seems very relaxed these days—but will that pay off? I don’t know, because I thought maybe he was a little tight last year,” said SEC insider Mike. Now the question remains: Can Lane Kiffin turn these whispers of doubt into roars of victory with a title run?
The post Brutal Roster Reality Hits Lane Kiffin as National Analyst Gives No Mercy Over Ole Miss’ Weak Spots appeared first on EssentiallySports.