Greg McElroy calls out problem with Lane Kiffin portal strategy, Ole Miss culture

While Ole Miss does recruit at the high school level, most of the noise Lane Kiffin makes is from the NCAA transfer portal. Kiffin pulled in another incredible class this offseason, gearing the Rebels up to compete for an SEC Championship and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff. A method this extreme we have yet to see pay off thus far.

Part of the reason is due to the potential culture brought into programs when relying on portal guys to make an impact. ESPN’s Greg McElroy understands the players are likely going to be more talented from the get-go, making the method an attractive one.

“There is a little bit of an issue when you rely on the portal as heavily as Lane Kiffin does,” McElroy said. “You might get more experience by going to the portal. You might ultimately get more talented players in certain spots and players that are more physically mature because they’re 21 years old compared to the freshman you would take out of high school who is maybe undersized.”

But McElroy argues the buy-in from transfer players has the potential to be suspect at times. High school recruits have been committed to programs for an extended period of time. When times get tough, they will want to dig a little deeper to get out of the hole, in McElroy’s opinion.

Transfers might be a little different, especially if they went to a certain school for NIL money. Not exactly what occurs every time at Ole Miss but something Kiffin definitely risks on these players.

“What you get from the high school recruiting class is buy-in,” McElroy said. “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 or you’re going to a place because you’re making a lot of money, you might not be willing, when things get difficult, to stick together, come together, and just pull yourself out of a bad situation.”

Kiffin has been able to find a balance over the past few seasons. Ole Miss won 11 games for the first time ever as a program last year, with a Peach Bowl victory against Penn State pushing them over the top.

The biggest challenge yet might be ahead of Kiffin in 2024 as expectations skyrocket in Oxford.

“I think Lane did a great job last year,” McElroy said. “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.”