OXFORD — Lane Kiffin met with the media Tuesday after Ole Miss opened the second week of spring football.

Kiffin said the Rebels’ spring so far has been “competitive,” adding that he really likes “the energy of the team.”

Kiffin hit on a number of topics on Tuesday, including:

— Kiffin discussed his developing relationship with new starting quarterback Austin Simmons.

“I think that always takes a little time,” Kiffin said. “It’s more something that when that becomes the guy running the first-team, that relationship grows more.”

— Kiffin said this spring is more intense than last year’s, in part because there are fewer veteran players with starting experience from the Southeastern Conference than was the case a year ago.

“I think there’s just more of a mixture of players who need to play, and I’m putting a lot of returners in that, too,” Kiffin said.

— Kiffin said the Rebels are healthier this spring than the team was this time a year ago, adding there are more players available to work with this spring.

— Defensive line is obviously under the microscope this spring, as Ole Miss must replace a quartet of players who are now in the NFL Draft process

“We’ve got a lot of young players who have been here for a year or two developing,” Kiffin said. “We have really good players. I think it’s a very talented room. There’s not as much experience as last year, obviously, but they really flash and do a lot of good things.”

— Speaking of the NFL Draft, it’s shaping up as a strong one for Ole Miss. Kiffin was asked if that could help Ole Miss in recruiting and in the transfer portal.

“I think that that matters, but I think that everything that mattered before has lessened a little bit, because money seems to matter more than everything,” Kiffin said.

— Ole Miss’ coaching staff divided into teams on Tuesday and conducted a four-play, two-hand-touch scrimmage while players watched. It’s something the staff does frequently to build camaraderie within the team. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was the quarterback, and he scored on a fourth-down run, just getting to the front corner of the end zone.

“He’s really good,” Kiffin said. “He’s really fast, throws the ball really well. …I think he led his (Delta State) team in tackles. I don’t know. Stories change. That may not be true, but he’s a really good athlete at everything, whether it’s baseball, pickleball, all-time quarterback. He’s just really good.”