Lane Kiffin Strengthens Ole Miss Quarterback Room with Arrival of OSU Transfer Maealiuaki Smith
OXFORD, Miss. — The Rebels continue making strategic moves this off-season to enhance their roster by bringing in a multitude of talented players from the transfer portal. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is focused on adding depth, experience, and competition to the quarterback position, and on Tuesday, the Rebels welcomed Maealiuaki Smith, a transfer from Oklahoma State, to the team.
Smith becomes the second former Cowboy to join the Rebels this offseason, as wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling transferred to Oxford in the first portal window.
Smith was able to redshirt last season after not participating in more than four games. He will have four years of eligibility remaining when he arrives in Oxford.
Although Smith didn’t see much action in Stillwater last season, he has displayed immense potential the Rebels can capitalize on. Standing at 6-foot-4, the Sacramento native started in two games this past fall for the Cowboys, completing 44 of 74 passes for 489 yards. He recorded two touchdowns, four interceptions, and one rushing touchdown.
Smith’s breakout performance came against Texas Tech, where he made history as the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Cowboys since 2022.
In that game, he went 26 for 35 with 316 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one rushing touchdown. His 316 passing yards in that game rank as the second-highest in OSU history for a career start and the sixth-highest by a freshman in a single game in program history.
With Smith’s arrival, the Rebels are poised to strengthen their quarterback room and elevate their performance on the field.
316 yards and 2 touchdowns?? True Freshman Maealiuaki Smith stuffed the stat sheet like it’s Thanksgiving dinner. 🍗
Catch the Newcomer of the Week at Noon Friday👀#Big12FB | @CowboyFB pic.twitter.com/CCj7wFAqP7— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 29, 2024
The Quick Take
From a quick look at his film, there are some traits that make Smith a great asset for the Rebels. He is excellent at maintaining his position to make a precise throw instead of just scrambling. From what we see, he has impeccable timing and can deliver a perfect pass to the wide receiver, hitting him in stride even as he backpedals.
As a prospect
As a prospect, Smith was ranked as the No. 32 quarterback overall in the 2024 cycle. During his time at Junipero Serra (San Mateo, CA), he played a crucial role in leading his team to back-to-back West Catholic Athletic League titles.
Smith’s exceptional performance on the field earned him the title of WCAL quarterback of the year in both 2022 and 2024. In his senior season, he showcased his talent by throwing for 1,778 yards and 21 touchdowns in an offense that averaged only 17.5 pass attempts per game.
Additionally, Smith scored five rushing touchdowns, further demonstrating his versatility as a player. Throughout his two seasons as the starter at Serra, Smith achieved an outstanding win-loss record of 25-2. By the end of his high school career, he had accumulated over 4,300 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, and five rushing touchdowns.
Smith’s arrival will undoubtedly enhance the team’s dynamic and add a new dimension to the QB room. Alongside players like returnee and presumptive starter Austin Simmons, AJ Maddox, and transfer Trinidad Chambliss, Smith will bring a fresh perspective and skill set that Coach Kiffin can leverage to elevate the team’s performance in the upcoming season.
This addition puts the Rebels at the No. 3 overall transfer class this season, according to On3. Ole Miss has added 31 transfers this cycle, filling the void from losing 28 players to the portal this cycle. For all the latest from the recruiting trail, stay tuned to The Rebel Walk.
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
