The thing is, Lane Kiffin doesn’t do boring. He doesn’t do predictable. And he definitely doesn’t do conventional. Whether it’s trolling rivals on X, running an offense that moves faster than a Tesla on autopilot, or turning the portal into his personal shopping mall, Kiffin operates on a different wavelength. But as he steps into 2025, the stakes have never been higher. Ole Miss Rebels have been on the cusp of something special since he took over, stacking ten-win seasons and riding Jaxson Dart’s arm like a golden ticket. But last season? A gut punch.
The Rebels had their shot, but losses to Kentucky, LSU, and Florida slammed the playoff door shut. Now, Dart is gone, and the keys to the kingdom are in Austin Simmons’ hands. Kiffin is betting big on the young QB, but here’s the catch—he’s also playing a very different kind of game behind the scenes.
It’s called “Moneyball.” And while the term might be more at home in a Brad Pitt movie about baseball analytics, it fits Kiffin’s approach like a glove. As Steven Willis, host of Locked on Ole Miss, explained on The Portal podcast with Brian Smith, “Lane Kiffin, no matter if it’s high school, college, transfer portal, Canadian college—it doesn’t matter. He takes the best players available who he thinks are going to make his roster better.” In 2024, that meant hunting down elite, game-changing talent from the portal. But 2025? A shift in strategy. “This year was more of a Moneyball-type focus to where they were looking to get certain attributes out of the portal,” Willis noted. The game plan changed because the market changed. Instead of splashing NIL money on premium talent that wasn’t available, Lane Kiffin doubled down on roster retention and selective upgrades.
This is where Kiffin’s adaptability makes him one of the most fascinating coaches. Other programs panic when the portal doesn’t give them exactly what they want. Lane Kiffin? He pivots. “If you’re not going to get elite defensive tackles or whatever position, offensive tackles, defensive ends out of the portal, there’s no reason to throw the money into a blender,” the pundits added. “You need to take that money and process it for your current roster to retain talent.” In other words, Kiffin isn’t just playing chess while everyone else plays checkers—he’s playing the long game. And with a young roster that still has gaps, especially in the secondary, this approach could make or break the Rebels’ season.
That young roster brings a lot of promise but also a lot of uncertainty. The defensive backfield, in particular, has some question marks. Suntarine Perkins and Jamarious Brown are key pieces, but the cornerback situation remains a concern. If Jaylon Braxton isn’t fully ready to lock down his side of the field, this defense could struggle against the SEC’s elite passing attacks.
And while Mr. Twitter Kiffin has been strategic about the portal, the safety position still looks like an area that might need reinforcement before the season kicks off. That’s the gamble of the Moneyball strategy—when you go for value over splash, you better hit on your evaluations.
But for all the roster talk, the biggest story in Oxford still revolves around one name—Austin Simmons. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, who has seen his fair share of elite quarterbacks, had a hard time hiding his excitement. “I know that Jaxson Dart had great comfort within the system. He had great personnel around him,” McElroy said. “But man, I’ve seen Jaxson Dart throw in person. I’ve seen it come off his hand. It’s really impressive. He does a great job. He’s a great player. But I’ve seen it come out of Austin Simmons’ hand as well, and man, it’s different. You know, you can just tell—that’s different.”
That’s the kind of praise that should make Ole Miss fans perk up. The kind that turns good teams into great ones. The kind that changes the ceiling of a program. The Rebels have been knocking on the door of college football’s elite. Now, it’s time to kick it down.
Lane Kiffin’s ‘moneyball’ magic starting to show its true powers
Kiffin’s “Moneyball” approach wasn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s already making waves in Oxford. The Rebels had a pressing need in the secondary, and help could be on the way in the form of Jonesboro (Ga.) four-star safety Cortez Redding, one of the fastest-rising prospects in the country.
The 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back is now a top-15 safety in America, and his stellar junior season has attracted offers from the best programs in the nation. His final Top-8 schools? Ole Miss, LSU, Florida, Indiana, Miami, Auburn, Florida State, and NC State—a stacked list that shows just how coveted he is.
NEWS 4-star safety Cortez Redding is down to 8⃣ schools.
Read: https://t.co/efpo5vTHcS pic.twitter.com/ToEeafYpQk
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) March 14, 2025
But here’s where it gets interesting: Ole Miss is set to get the final official visit. In the recruiting world, that’s no small detail—it often means a program gets the last chance to leave a lasting impression before decision time. However, Redding may squeeze in one more visit during the weekend of June 20 before the NCAA Dead Period. So is Redding the next ‘Moneyball’ gem for Kiffin?
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