This offseason, and particularly in the spring, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin made a notable effort to improve the team’s secondary. Now, with Fall Camp underway, it appears that those defensive backs have taken strides forward for Ole Miss.
Kiffin recently shared how those improvements have helped the Rebels. In particular, it’s improved competition for both sides of the ball while adding depth and options for Ole Miss come the regular season.
“Yeah, that’s been really big for us,” Lane Kiffin said. “Obviously, to get that group better, but that makes us better on the other side. In spring, I felt that was an issue. We were challenged a lot with secondary issues, and some guys were hurt. So, it’s much better now, deeper, more competition, and it’s in a really good spot.”
In 2024, Ole Miss was just 86th nationally in passing defense, giving up 230.8 passing yards per game. Their 12 interceptions were tied for 44th nationally. That was also just 12th in the SEC in passing defense and tied for sixth in interceptions.
This offseason, one corner from last year’s team, Trey Amos, would be drafted by the Washington Commanders in the second round. Another five defensive backs would transfer out of the program, and that’s before counting the outgoing seniors.
Lane Kiffin would dip into the Transfer Portal this offseason. Ole Miss has the third-ranked transfer class in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That includes a total of 32 transfers into the program, six of whom are defensive backs. Three of those defensive backs came to the program in the spring transfer window, after Kiffin was able to see what they needed following spring ball.
Lane Kiffin unleashes on negative impact transfer rules have on team chemistry
Lane Kiffin is among the coaches who leans the most heavily on the Transfer Portal. New rules, however, seem to make developing chemistry more difficult to do with transfers.
“I think that unfortunately, the world we’re in, it is not good. And I’m not up here to gripe. I didn’t start with this or anything. It’s not a good system, and it’s not good for college football. Professional sports don’t have this amount of turnover on a roster. Not even close. So to do it in college – and you’re just on your third fourth school. You don’t really care about the school – you didn’t pick it. You didn’t grow up wanting to play there. That’s not really good. It is what it is,” Kiffin said.
“All coaches, I’m sure, are just trying to maximize the situation that they’re in. But it’s not good for college football, it’s not good for locker rooms and it’s obviously not very good for chemistry. I don’t think it’s very good for the passion of college football. There are free agents two times a year and a number of guys just going wherever to get the most money and not having any care for where they’re playing.”
