TRANSCRIPT: Everything Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin Said at Tuesday’s Presser: Portal Additions, Free Agency Windows, Rebels Participating in Gator Bowl and More

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin met with media Tuesday as the Rebels prepare for their January 2nd Gator Bowl appearance against Duke.

Coach Kiffin talked about the new transfers, the portal window, players participating in the Gator Bowl, the role of current players recruiting others and more.

Lane Kiffin’s opening statement

Alright, kind of an interesting time with a lot of things going on. We’re trying to practice a long time before the bowls, so really just kind of more general practices, not specific to the opponent. And then at the same time, you know, the keeping of our own players in free agency and then bringing other ones in for their visits, trying to add to our roster next year. So just kind of a strange schedule, how it works and sometimes even seems strange because you’re in these portal official visits and you’re talking to the guys about next year, and they’re here and they’re adding to your team, and then you go to the quarterback meeting room and then Jaxson’s still there. So, it just is what it is. Like I said before, it’s just a very strange schedule. And our guys have basically all stayed, fortunately. I do feel for the people that are trying to prepare for a bowl game and they got their significant players going to other teams before they even play.

Media: We asked J.J. (Pegues) about (Walter) Nolen and Pooh (Paul) playing the Gator Bowl, and he said, ‘we’re all playing.’ Just for you and them individually, did you ever have that kind of talk after they made their draft announcements, or was that even something that was brought up?

Lane Kiffin: Yeah, I think everybody but Pooh is playing. I don’t think he is and so I think that really speaks volumes to a lot of things, you know, not to be in the playoffs. And as you look at what happens around the country or even last year, like in the Orange Bowl, how players didn’t play. I think that says a lot. It says a lot about the culture in that locker room, a lot about how they feel about each other. A number of those guys have very high draft grades and they’re still playing. Where if you take, for example, even if you look at New Year’s six bowl games, including ours, who we played against last year, a number of people not playing in it, it says a lot, so I’m very appreciative of them and commend them for that.

Media: You mentioned this being kind of a weird time with the portal and all this different stuff happening. Duke is down two quarterbacks and they’re trying to get ready for a game. I guess, is there an easy fix for this schedule situation that you see?

Lane Kiffin: I don’t know that– because I don’t control that, I don’t have any control with the schedule. So I don’t really sit down and try to figure that out. So I don’t know that answer. I just know that it’s not a good one. Like I’ve said, just because of what you just said right there. You know, people trying to prepare there, and it’s even happening to some playoff teams, even. Players are coming in saying, ‘well, I got this much money here. I got to go here. Like, do I need to go in right now?’ We just saw someone go in in the playoffs. Back-up quarterback like that, that’s just just — really wrap your head around that — if you ever saw that in professional sports that have figured things out, you know that would just never happen.

Media: Following up on the portal question, you already have another portal window in April. Wouldn’t it make logical sense to just have that one portal window in April and let all of the portal stuff happen then?

Lane Kiffin: I’ve heard that discussed, and some coaches are for that. So, I think there’d be a lot of good to that. I think one thing — and they’ve even discussed maybe the window is even a little earlier, and then there’s kind of some OTA days back at the back end of that, because one thing if you know, would be, okay, well, then what are the kids doing when you do that? Like they’re still at their old school, you know, through the spring? And then really, you’re kind of practicing with not your team for the next year or so. There’s some really good parts about it, but there’s some issues there, too.

Media: Coach, you talk about Jaxson’s legacy that he’ll leave behind here at Ole Miss as well. How important is it to see him play one more game in that bowl for the younger players and really just set an example there?

Lane Kiffin: Well, I think that’s a big part of it, too. I think when Jaxson came out and said he was playing right away, I think that impacted these other guys too to want to play. I think when your quarterback says he isn’t, then it’s easier for other people not to. So, I think, again, I’ve said it up here a million times. So about the guy’s legacy, you know, what do you leave when you leave somewhere? And I think he even said it, he wanted to leave this place better than when he got here. And he certainly has.

Media: Seems y’all are having success again in the portal. I know it’s like a week and a half old, but, I mean, what do you attribute that to? Y’all’s (bowl) game so much later in the schedule, so you’re able to kind of put effort and time into it on the front end?

Lane Kiffin: No, I don’t think it has anything to do with the game because everybody’s doing. I mean, I talked to the guys in the playoffs having to play this weekend. I mean, you got to do it. Free agency is open. You know, the window started. I think our success has to do with a number of things. First off, especially now, everybody’s got money. You know, so, a number of people operate on a bigger payroll than we do and some much bigger. So, I think what happens is these guys look at success. They want to go somewhere where they see it happen. And these guys saw these guys come here a year ago and they’ve seen their success. What, three all SEC first team defensive players were portal players that came here. You know, first team All American in Walter (Nolen). So these guys see it and they come and they visit and they talk about it and it’s like, ‘okay, this is a good destination because we’ve just watched it work for a couple of years with players.’ Even the Tre Harris’ that came here a couple years ago, all the way to Jaxson. So when you have those success stories, kids want to come copy it. And, if you asked our starters from a year ago from the portal or these current ones that just signed in the last week, they would all tell you that they had a bigger offer somewhere else financially, and they would tell you the reasons that they came here. They think they’re going to get coached really well. They think they’re going to improve for the draft. They have seen it work really well where without being here a long time, we’re able to plug them into systems and and they perform really well.

Media: With this portal class specifically, but not too specifically, what do you think overall and what have you liked about the additions so far?

Lane Kiffin: Yeah, I’m not going to get very specific on that on that. But I’ve been very pleased with what we’ve added so far. Very big positions of needs where we have. We’re currently very active with a lot of players, including some that are on campus right now. So, we’re just making sure that we put together the best roster that we can. We put together a really good roster a year ago. I know that as we look at it and we look back, we lost three one-score games and none of us are pleased with that. But, especially, in the first two losses where we have the ball up four, we have them on the -19, you know, just one of any 30 plays that goes differently and we’re in the playoffs and probably at home now. I know a lot of people can say that, but then you can say, ‘well, what about the games you won? Those could have went the other way.’ Well, all of our wins were double-digit wins. So I think that’s unique to be able to say that that it was a really good roster that played really well. We just didn’t finish a couple of games. So in the big picture of things, I look at the overall like that was a really good roster. A bunch of them are coming back and now we’re adding to it again so we can play that type of game, play that type of season again, but then don’t go 0-3 in the one-score games, where I think the year before we were 4-0 in one-score games. And those are going to happen as you look at big picture and overall programs, those are going to happen. The ball’s not always going to bounce your way. You’re not going to win every one score game every year.

Media: What do you think of Austin Simmons’ recruiting efforts on social media? Is he a part of meetings, as well, if you can get into that.

Lane Kiffin: Austin’s done a really good job. He’s up here a lot, always asking us who we’re on, going to meals with the recruits when they’re here, and developing relationships with them and being very active. Again, we talk about legacies and what you leave. He saw the best to ever do it in Jaxson at that. So now he’s trying to take over.

Media: Is that something you ask players to do, or is that the result of recruiting team-oriented guys who do that by themselves?

Lane Kiffin: Well, I think as we started this a while back, we talked to them about that, but then you saw it work just like what we said. Portal players come here because they just watched portal players come here and have great success getting ready to head to the draft with high draft grades. Austin watched Jaxson put together a team and so he wants to do the same thing.

Media: Are you anticipating any coaching changes before the bowl game or after?

Lane Kiffin: I’m not, but you never know. Those things are always moving. And, so you never know with that.

(Feature image credit: Karis Chambliss, The Rebel Walk)