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OXFORD -- Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Tuesday, just after his team began spring practices in preparation for the April 23 Grove Bowl.
Kiffin and the Rebels will practice every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the next five weeks.
Here’s a look at what Kiffin said -- and maybe, just maybe -- what he meant.
Opening statement...
“Good to be back, to be out there on the field with the guys and a lot of excitement because there are a lot of new guys it’s almost like how it used to be in the fall when you had all the mid-years and all the new guys in the fall to look at. Spring usually is not this way, but with the portal and all of the guys new guys, it’s pretty exciting to be able to go out there and look at all the guys that used to just be basically high schools’ guys that were a long way away and now you’ve got guys that have already played and should have significant roles. It’s pretty exciting.”
On transfers Ulysses Bentley IV and Khari Coleman…
What he said:
“We’ve lost our top three running production-wise running backs from a year ago, so that was a very important addition. I think he did some great things there when he was healthy. Kind of had some Devin Singletary type of runs and stuff, so unique timing with all of this and to be able to add guys and they are here today is kind of crazy. I mean I’ve made all of the references to we have free agency, but even we have free agency and even more to the fact that a guy’s at another program a few days ago and now he’s here it truly is like free agency.”
What he meant:
I still don’t know how they pulled this off. I’m learning new portal rules every day. Bentley is going to play a big role on this team, as Evans’ workload must be managed, Bullock is still unproven and Judkins is just a freshman. Getting him in for spring was impressive, and yes, it’s so much like free agency it’s amazing.
On Caden Costa…
What he said:
“I don’t know that with HIPPA and that stuff that I can’t comment on that. He is not (at practice).”
What he meant:
As I posted earlier in the day, Ole Miss has brought Land Gebhart back. I have to think they’re deciding if they need to go get a kicker in the portal. I suspect they’d prefer not to, but they might not have a choice. Costa, from everything I’m hearing, is going to miss the season.
On NIL deals…
What he said:
I’ve said a lot about NIL from the beginning of it. Let’s make sure that we understand that I love that the players are getting paid, I just say how it is. So, you know, I guess I got called a clown before for saying how it is. NIL has a lot to do with where players go. And to not think that is crazy. It literally would be like being a head coach in the NFL, signing a great free agency class of signing guys, going out and getting these great players, and coming up here and saying the contracts had nothing to do with why the players came here ‘the players just wanted to play for me.’ So, obviously it has a lot to do with where players go and it should. You’re talking about 17, 18-year-old kids. Adults choose jobs a lot of times for money, for salary, so why would a kid not.”
What he meant:
Circle the Texas A&M game. Kiffin was called a clown by Jimbo Fisher for his comments in December, and Kiffin hasn’t forgotten. That said, Kiffin is clearly worried about how far behind Ole Miss is in NIL. That’s obvious, at least to me. Kiffin is utilizing the portal better than damn near anyone, but I do wonder if there’s some underlying frustration regarding the massive numbers being bandied about elsewhere via NIL.
On key to sustained team success…
What he said:
“Every year is new. And so, every team is new, even when we lost a lot and even when you have a lot coming back every year is new. We have kind of put that behind us. I haven’t talked to you guys a lot really since the last game. And, that was a difficult game. I felt we didn’t play very well at all on offense. As head coach I take responsibility for that, and it was embarrassing. It was an embarrassing performance and we did not give them any issues at all schematically. So, I don’t know that I‘ve been a part of 10 sacks before like that.
So that was really discouraging and the problem is it’s your last game and you’ve got to live with that and don’t have another one to play seven days later, so that was difficult to go out that way. And, especially as you go back and watch the film of the game you really see how well we played on defense. You guys know about my tirade after the Arkansas game and our performance on defense, I mean this is right on that level offensively. I mean that’s as bad a performance you can have and unfortunately in one of the biggest games in the history of the program. So, we’re moving forward.”
What he meant:
Wow. Well, I’ve heard a lot about acrimony between Kiffin and Jeff Lebby, and now we know. Goodness gracious. That was a planned attack, I’m guessing, as the question wasn’t about the Baylor game. I mean, Kiffin said it’s a new team and all that and then launched. Sign me up for an Oklahoma-Ole Miss bowl game.
On changes to schemes with coaches…
What he said:
“Not a whole lot. There will be a lot of carryover. With defensively promoting from within and Charlie (Weis, Jr.) on offense having been with us before, I think that’s really good for the players. There will be some changes but not overall. That’s what you should do, you win 10 games, you always want to get better and improve and look at new ideas and things. But, not totally scratch, kind of like what we did schematically a year ago on defense when we traumatically changed. I don’t think you’ll see a whole lot of difference from the outside.”
What he meant:
I was curious about tempo, about schemes, etc., and Kiffin said not much would change. That’s what I figured, but I’d not gotten it on the record. I suspect things won’t look much different.
On play callers…
What he said:
“That would be Partridge and Charlie.”
What he meant:
What he said.
On Chris (Kiffin) leaving the staff…
What he said:
“Obviously that’s unique because he’s your brother. And so, he came back and that happens sometimes, sometimes you know you take jobs and it’s the end of the season and you’re excited about it and you get there and kind of have some second thoughts. It happens with recruits when they sign at schools, it happens with coaches. Just like I said, kids and adults aren’t a whole lot of different a lot of times and taking jobs because of salaries you can have the same thin, especially even more sometimes because when you have four kids and they’re used to all their teams and friends up there and kind of comes to reality when they come down and visit and they’ve got to move and they were really entrenched there from their friends and all playing sports, so I get it.”
What he meant:
He’s right. I can’t imagine moving my kids when they were Chris Kiffin’s kids’ ages. I mean, it happens, but I can see how it would be traumatic and emotional. I also have heard from numerous people Chris just didn’t want to recruit anymore. I get that, too.
On Corral pro day and not being at practice…
What he said:
“There’s a lot of weird things, so it is what it is, you know. It’s been a long time since I (didn’t have) Wilson (Love) out there, and not just here, going all the way back to FAU and Kevin Smith. So, there’s a lot of new and Matt’s part of that. That’s two years. Those other guys this would have been year six. There’s a lot of different things and that comes with success. But change is good, you’ve got to embrace change. And new people have new ideas.”
What he meant:
Just that. Change is difficult. It’s different. But you have to embrace it. That’s how you grow.
On quarterback battle…
What he said:
“All three guys will have a chance. We’ve been in a lot of these over the years, more than we’d like actually. I mean at one point, three, four, five, six I think there were six or seven years in a row we had a new starter between last year, at USC, Alabama and FAU. And so, we’ve been very used to not having a returning starter. Really just maybe one year out of all that. We’ve been in this, but again it could be good because it makes everybody better because there’s competition.”
On quarterback battle timeline…
“Always in these things, it would be best for it to be early from the standpoint of the team and everybody knowing, but we’re not going to rush it. These things have gone on forever, we ideally never want it to go into the season when they’re playing. That’s never ideal, but that’s even happened once. So, you gotta try to make the right decision and the more time, the more input, the more information going on. We don’t have preseason games, so the more you can get, the better, so you need to be patient sometimes.”
What he meant:
I combined these questions since they’re the same topic. Kiffin is still talking three quarterbacks, though later, Jonathan Mingo referred to two. Obviously, Kiffin is going to try to keep everyone happy as long as possible, and I don’t get the sense that any final decision regarding the quarterback spot is happening soon.
On team health…
What he said:
“I think we’re better that way. There’re some guys not out there or limited, but I think for the most part we’ve got a lot of guys out there and all your new guys are out there so that’s a lot. What is that 12 now, I think. 12 transfers, that’s a lot.”
What he meant:
A year ago at this time, Ole Miss’ offense was the walking wounded. It seemed like everyone was out. This year, the Rebels are healthier and there are more new faces and more competition. And yes, 12 transfers is a lot of transfers, and Ole Miss isn’t done yet.
On Nick Broeker from LT to LG…
What he said:
“We do what’s in the best interest for the players on these. Kind of like the Ben Brown situation, and just when we look at what’s probably their future in the NFL, usually moving them there, And, that’s just a little bit unique for coaches by the way. Especially when it’s with decisions of whether to come back or not. To come back and then force a guy to play a position they are not going to play at the next level is not in the best interest to them. Because then they gotta do what always happens, and they gotta go do workouts and play different spots and say ‘Oh. we can play this spot,’ but we didn’t. So, I think this is best for him.”
What he meant:
This was a strong recruiting answer. Also, I think it’s obvious part of Broeker’s decision to return was built on moving inside and giving NFL scouts and personnel film in that regard. Broeker is a guard who can play tackle at the next level, and now he’ll have a body of work showing that.
