Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talks upcoming season, position group he’s most excited to see

OXFORD, Miss. – Head coach Lane Kiffin is about to embark on one of the most-anticipated seasons in Ole Miss football history, as his Rebels are ranked preseason Top 5 by many and are projected to make the College Football Playoffs in 2024.

Enthusiastic fans greeted him in Memphis earlier this week for the DeadSoxy Rebel Road Trip, and they joined David Kellum, the Voice of the Rebels, in asking Kiffin plenty of interesting questions.

Here are some of his Coach Kiffin’s comments throughout his time on stage.

Lane Kiffin on Jaxson Dart and the returning group of seniors:

“He finished the season really well, played through some injuries, and I think it’s really neat to see a team where a lot of these guys had a chance to go to the NFL and probably could’ve been middle-round picks, but they decided to come back, which is unusual. They came back to try and do something special, so it is a really cool group of kids.”

Lane Kiffin on the new helmet communication system:

“I think that’s a benefit, but also that’s a defensive benefit because they can call plays on defense. There’s less sign stealing going on, but to me, there is an ability to play faster.”

Lane Kiffin on the Rebels’ running back room:

“The running back room, we have (Ulysses) Bentley coming back, and he’s been out through spring, so we were able to go to the portal to get Henry Parrish to come back. Logan Diggs from LSU had an ACL tear, so that recovery is a lot longer, and hopefully somewhere in the season he comes back for us.”

Lane Kiffin on recruiting the state of Mississippi and kids staying home:

“I think there was one the other day, it’s easier to stay now than four or five years ago because Ole Miss football had been down for a couple of years. It’s not like we just did that season, it’s the season a couple of years before is what they saw, in ninth grade, 10th grade, and 11th grade, so we had to kind of sell that we can play for championships as a top-10 team like Alabama or Georgia. Now that’s its happened, it’s a lot easier to see that, and more top-tier guys stay here.”

Lane Kiffin on the position group he’s most excited to watch this season:

“Probably big picture, the D-line. We really haven’t had a bigger D-line since we’ve ben here. There are some guys who could be high NFL picks, and this conference is a total game-changer. I’m excited, and if they develop like they should, we could really look good on defense up front.”

As we get closer to kickoff on August 31, be sure to stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all your Ole Miss sports news. Hotty Toddy!