Lane Kiffin Talks Simmons, O-Line Injuries, and Young Playmakers as Rebels Close in on Season Opener

OXFORD, Miss. — With less than two weeks remaining until the Ole Miss Rebels kick off another highly anticipated football season, head coach Lane Kiffin addressed the media Monday to reflect on recent practices, offer scrimmage takeaways, and give roster updates.

Kiffin opened his remarks with optimism, particularly regarding the team’s energy and performance coming off the weekend.

“Really good practice today following a really good scrimmage Saturday, which was good to see,” he said. “Got a lot of work to do with under two weeks to go. Very pleased at some things, but with some other things we got a long ways to go.”

Simmons bright spot in scrimmage

The Rebels have been grinding through fall camp, with several position groups seeing strong progress and others dealing with depth and health issues. One of the central storylines heading into the season is the development of quarterback Austin Simmons. After a few struggles in the team’s prior scrimmage, Simmons showed notable improvement in the most recent outing.

“He played a lot better, had a good day,” Kiffin said of Simmons’ second scrimmage. “Took care of the ball a lot better. Really the whole offense did. I think there was only one turnover on the 118th play.”

Offensive line a work-in-progress, ‘struggling with a lot of injuries’

Simmons’ performance was a bright spot in a camp that has seen highs and lows across the roster. Kiffin noted that while skill players are starting to gel, the offensive line remains a work in progress — not necessarily due to lack of talent, but because of a flurry of injuries that have forced constant adjustments.

“That spot is struggling with a lot of injuries,” he said of the O-line. “I don’t think they’re really long-term injuries, but we are struggling number-wise there, so guys are having to play different spots and they’re doing a good job, but it’s not ideal by any means.”

The Rebels brought in a few transfers and younger players to bolster the trenches, but Kiffin emphasized that continuity is key, and it’s something the unit simply hasn’t had the chance to develop.

“I’d like to know [the starting five on the o-line] today, but the injuries really haven’t helped that,” he said when asked about setting the offensive line rotation. “I think we’re on our way to figuring that out, but guys getting hurt has set us back now.”

Even so, Kiffin expressed confidence in the offense’s overall trajectory through camp.

“I think the first skilled unit has developed really well and I think we’re developing depth behind that,” he said. “I think the offensive line, like I said, with injuries has been a work in progress. And you got some guys coming and played other places, but they still got to play together.”

Kiffin on defensive line, secondary, young wide receivers…and Moncrief

On the defensive side of the ball, the Rebels are also navigating some health challenges, but the depth across the front seven appears to be a strength. Kiffin noted that the first-team defensive line continues to perform at a high level, while the secondary is slowly returning to full strength.

“I think the secondary is starting to get healthy. Hopefully the line will be like that, so it’s good to have so many guys out there,” he said. “I think the front continues to play really well, the first unit, but a lot of work to do after that.”

Kiffin was pleased with how the defense held up during Saturday’s scrimmage, particularly in matchups where the depth chart was mixed.

“Sometimes in the first half there it was ones vs twos,” he said. “So they went with it against the two offense and in the second half, they go against the ones. So they did a really good job.”

Among the young players who could make an early impact on the field are wide receivers Winston Watkins and Caleb Cunningham — both highly touted freshmen who have shown flashes of what’s to come.

Watkins has had the smoother transition thus far due to better health.

“Winston has been able to stay healthy so his has been a lot easier, his transition,” Kiffin said. “Caleb got banged up a bit but now he’s back. He’s working really hard and he’s going to be really good.”

Beyond player development, Kiffin also addressed staffing updates, notably the return of a familiar face to the program. Former Ole Miss standout receiver Donte Moncrief has joined the football staff in a recruiting role — a move Kiffin fully supports.

“I think that’s great. I love giving opportunities to former players so that’s really good,” he said. “He knows a lot of people. Good to have him around and join our recruiting staff.”

Countdown ’til kickoff

As the Rebels count down the days to their August 30 opener against Georgia State, Kiffin is balancing optimism with realism. There are plenty of encouraging signs — improved quarterback play, strong defensive front performance, and young talent stepping up — but also significant areas where consistency and cohesion still need to emerge.

“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Kiffin said. “But we’re getting better.”

With another scrimmage expected this week and practices continuing at a rapid pace, the focus now shifts to fine-tuning, finalizing depth charts, and, most importantly, staying healthy.

The Rebels will take the field in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the first time this season in 12 days. For now, Kiffin and his staff are focused on navigating the final stretch of camp — and are doing everything they can to close the gap between potential and performance.