Kiffin Says ‘Still Work to be Done’ on Signing Day

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin met with the media on Signing Day to discuss the players who are coming to play for the Red and Blue.

“There is still work to be done,” Kiffin said. “Most people switch to the early (signing day) so it’s not your full class. There are guys still out there to sign later today or on the normal signing day.”

Kiffin said he can’t discuss transfers who are coming to Ole Miss and those the coaching staff are still working on.

“I’m excited about the guys that have already received their papers,” Kiffin said. “I think there are some really good players in there. Our coaches and the entire program have worked really hard to get this together and capitalize on the moment on the field over the last couple of years, and we’re keeping a couple of high-impact recruits in Mississippi.

“It’s kind of an unusual press conference because there are no portal guys to talk about,” Kiffin said. “We’re in a new era because you don’t have the 25 cap, which has made things extremely different than normal in all areas.”

Kiffin and his staff have done well in recruiting the state of Mississippi to bring in three of the top five players to Ole Miss, which is important for the program.

“It’s really big,” Kiffin said. “That didn’t happen when we first got here. They were going away to play. I think we did a better job with that and having guys coming in and having success.” 

Ole Miss saw quarterback Marcell Reed decommit a few days before signing day.

“Everything is not what it appears to be. I would not say that we lost a quarterback,” Kiffin said. “It is what it is because of the portal and because of it being so different with players going in with one to four years of eligibility going in it.

“Walking down here and going over this stuff is kind of a weird press conference to have because it’s so incomplete compared to what this will look like when we start spring ball let alone camp,” Kiffin said. “Nowadays you see guys in the summer still transfer to places.”

Kiffin added that the Rebels do have some quarterback challenges to iron out.

“I think in general there are depth issues around the country and everywhere because you have kids going in the portal,” Kiffin said. “We have a lot of work to do at no one position, especially at quarterback.”