Lane Kiffin press conference to open week two of camp

Oxford, Miss – Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media on Monday after practices as the team started week two of fall camp.

“We got a lot of work in,” Kiffin said. “For the most part, it’s really healthy and good to see most of the guys out there at full speed. Being able to move pieces around and see how they work together.”

This season, the format for football practice has changed over the years.

“Where we don’t practice as much with more of an NFL model,” Kiffin said. “Talking to NFL people about injury prevention and taking care of players that they call it ramp up. The first five days which is dramatically different from the way used to be or the way a lot of people still do.

“It’s a little frustrating because for instance in five days we are only practicing three times,” Kiffin said. “That’s a lot of meeting times and walkthroughs, but I think it will pay off in the long term for the player’s bodies.”

In less than a month, Ole Miss will tee the ball up for the first time in the 2024 season. Kiffin and his staff look to improve on things each day.

“I would say that I am really pleased by a lot of players,” Kiffin said. “Not a ton of mistakes for this early in camp and that would probably be because of the less practice and not as tired and all the walkthroughs.”

The NFL model for practice, Ole Miss will have back-to-back practices during camp.

“In five days we have three practices so in the majority of camp,” Kiffin said. “When they go back-to-back days in camp it’s it’ll be a morning and then not till the night the next day. So a full day and a half off. So I don’t think you can kind of tell as much as that which is ok that is why you ramp up there. Gradually get up there versus if you run distance and start training for distance you run 20 miles the first day. Obviously makes a lot more sense it’s just against our wiring as coaches over all the years to do it.”

Entering the second week of camp, any separation at the backup spot at quarterback behind Jaxson Dart.

“I think that they have both (Walker Howard and Austin Simmons) have done a really good job as well as AJ Maddox,” Kiffin said. “It has really been competitive in there I think that all three are really smart and really do a good job handling and running the offense. You’d probably expect more out of Walker being the veteran of those three.

“All three have done a really good job,” he said.

Coaches will be able to talk to the quarterback and a defense player with the same communication that the NFL uses. The communication will stay online until 15 seconds are left on the play clock.

“It’s very different I think that just listening there is a major impact but it’s probably naturalized because both sides have it,” Kiffin said. “The player with it would be the quarterback or the middle linebacker I think for most people. Whatever that player is I mean it truly is like a cheat code. You are getting talked to you’re getting reminded of everything which is run, pass, gap, splits alignments what to check to. It is a game changer but I don’t know if you are going to notice as much because I don’t know that it’s not kind of neutralized.”

Ole Miss opens the 2024 season on August 31st as they welcome in Furman inside the Vaught. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.