Expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels. However, not everyone is sold on how the 2024 season is going to go for the SEC program.
ESPN analyst and former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy explained his biggest concern with Kiffin’s culture that he’s built at Ole Miss. McElroy believes that because of Kiffin’s reliance on the transfer portal over high school recruiting, it’s naturally harder to build a team with a mindset to persevere through difficult times.
“What you get from the high school recruiting class is buy-in,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “You get guys that understand how things work in your building. And when things don’t go well, they’re going to come closer because they really love the place they’re at. If you’re going to a place because of what you’re getting in NIL…you might not be willing, when things get difficult, to stick together, come together, and just pull yourself out of a bad situation.”
Ole Miss boasts the No. 1 transfer portal class for the 2024 season, bringing in 24 new players to the program. The class is highlighted by a pair of talented defenders in Princely Umanmielen and Walter Nolen, along with a handful of weapons like Antwane Wells Jr. and Logan Diggs.
“I think Lane did a great job last year,” McElroy explained. “But every year, when you’re turning the roster over like this and go to the portal to fortify your needs, it’s going to be harder and harder to create a culture that naturally exists. Something that has to be worked on. I’m not sure Lane has found the balance but we’re going to find out this year because the expectations are real.”
Time will tell if this modern strategy of embracing the transfer portal will work out for Kiffin and Ole Miss. Rebels fans will find out soon enough, when the team kicks off the 2024 season against Furman on August 31.
