Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss’ head coach, has ushered in a golden age of Rebel football in Oxford, Mississippi. A program formerly known for tailgating has evolved into one of the best in the SEC, with legitimate title expectations this year.
To win SEC championships, you must first defeat Georgia and Alabama, two teams that Lane Kiffin has yet to defeat during his time at Mississippi. But, at SEC Media Days on Monday, Kiffin believes he may have discovered the missing element Ole Miss needed to beat the two powers.
Last year. Ole Miss finished a magnificent 11-2 season with a Peach Bowl victory over a depleted Penn State club. However, their two defeats were against Alabama and Georgia, by a combined 49 points. While Ole Miss appeared to be as skilled as the other eleven teams on the schedule, they were outplayed in the trenches in both losses by bigger and stronger opponents.
The Rebels signed probably the nation’s top transfer portal class, and Lane Kiffin believes that group will help them grow larger and longer, two factors he believes have held them back.
“Kiffin says Ole Miss has had a “length and size issue” when facing Alabama and Georgia in the past. Also said that it was “particularly glaring” when the Rebels faced Georgia last year in Athens. Kiffin believes Ole Miss addressed that issue in the portal this offseason” Graham Coffey tweeted out.
Coach Kiffin is almost definitely right. Even when compared to other top teams, Alabama and Georgia have freaks on their defensive lines year after year.
Ole Miss addressed its defensive line in a big way in the portal, highlighted by former number-one overall prospect Walter Nolen, a defensive tackle from Texas A&M. Nolen is one of the most physically dominant players in college football. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Nolen is a massive mismatch. And, their second huge portal addition on the defensive line, Princely Umanmielen, has outstanding length at 6-5, will hold up well at 255 pounds, and was a Second Team All-SEC selection last year.
They’ve added some good offensive line players, including Diego Pounds, Nate Kalepo, and Julius Buelow. These are the players Lane Kiffin was referring to when he stated that they had handled the issue.
This year’s regular season schedule does not include a game against Alabama, although they do face Georgia at home. If they have improved in the trenches, they may find themselves in Atlanta for their first SEC Championship Game participation.
Kiffin, who is in his sixth year at Ole Miss, is mourning the loss of his father, Monte, a defensive genius and coaching icon who died last week.
