Lane Kiffin explains decision to forgo Ole Miss' three remaining spring practices

Lane Kiffin hosted Ole Miss‘ spring game last Saturday, once again having some excitement around the program. The Grove Bowl took place at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium for the fans in Oxford to get an early look at the 2023 team. A successful day overall for the Rebels but spring was not totally over for them.

That was until Kiffin decided to not use the final three practices of the spring. Due to some problems piling up and some key players suffering through injuries, Ole Miss should be done with the high-level practices. Kiffin still can meet with the team and accomplish goals but the pads will not fully be on anymore until fall rolls around.

“I think, as you saw today, we have a lot of injured players,” Kiffin said. “I think that we’ve got a lot of work done. There’s some other things to focus on within our program. Continue to get guys bigger, stronger, and faster. And not as much contact. So, looks like that’s the direction that we’re headed.”

One of those places Kiffin could be allocating his time is the NCAA transfer portal. He has made his intentions really clear over the past couple of years. Ole Miss is going to be looking for outside players to bring in and hopefully help win games in the fall.

Taking time to identify who you want and then going through the recruiting process — it all adds up. Kiffin may want to get a head start while giving his players a rest. He understands the last week does not have to be a complete waste with his team.

“Just because you’re supposed to have this many practices, why do you? I think that was a situation that we can still walk through, can get stuff done in meetings if we choose to do that,” Kiffin said.

Ole Miss began spring practice all the way back on March 21. The final three practices were set to take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of this past week. Quickly following the Grove Bowl, Kiffin determined they would not be necessary for the Rebel’s success moving forward.

The next time Kiffin will see his team in pads will be in the fall. He will likely still be attempting to deal with injuries then but the season opener will be quickly approaching. Whether or not Ole Miss was prepared for what should be a crucial 2023 season will show later in the year.